


Prompts!

by TalesInInkAndStars



Category: Being Human (UK), Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy, The Almighty Johnsons, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Dwalin Is A Softie, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fíli and Kíli are adorable, M/M, Not really graphic but better safe than sorry, Sad Ending, Sorry Not Sorry, lots of different fandoms, not all about the boys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-10
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-03-22 05:03:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 48,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3716164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalesInInkAndStars/pseuds/TalesInInkAndStars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a collection of mullti fandom prompts and will contain lots of different pairings in different situations. This is designed to improve my writing skills and inspire some story lines</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hey Classmate

“Hey classmate, I’ll be telling some jokes and puns during my presentation but I’m not sure if anyone will laugh so can I count on you to laugh so I don’t look stupid?” AU

It was ten minutes before that afternoon’s seminar and Mitchell was leaning against the door of the lecture hall, blasting rock music through his headphones whilst he waited for everyone else to arrive. History had always been one of his favourite subjects and he was often made fun of by the other students due to his habit of being the first outside of the hall before Dr Sands, their lecturer, even arrived. Not that he minded all that much. He didn’t particularly care what those in his history class thought of him.

  
“Hey.” Mitchell blinked and frowned, removing one bud from his ear and peering around the almost empty hallway. Lauren Drake was standing on the threshold to the girl’s bathroom on the other side of the hallway with William Herrick or, ‘just Herrick’s arm wrapped around her shoulders. The Forensics major was nearing the end of his university time and was subsequently seen as some sort of almighty king to the younger years. A flock of first years were gathered around them. “Hey! Hobbit hair.” Mitchell looked around before meeting the eyes of a blonde boy standing just behind him. Anders Johnson was a confident and cocky third year who was retaking the course. He always sat at the back of the hall, glancing off somewhere out of the window or texting constantly under the desk when the lecturer wasn’t looking. Mitchell had found himself staring at the blonde every now and then, caught by the mischievous look in his eyes or the way his hair glinted in the afternoon light, making the boy look as if he glowed. He was short, shorter than Mitchell but had a distinct air of confidence that made up for his slightly lacking height. Mitchell raised an eyebrow at him and Anders smirked back, mirroring Mitchell’s position against the wall. “Anders.” The boy said. “Anders Johnson” Mitchell pulled the other headphone free.

  
“Mitchell.” He replied. Anders smiled and pushed off of the wall. Mitchell met his gaze head on.

  
“Ok, here’s the deal I’m doing a presentation today. I usually just sit at the back of the classroom and fantasise about the hot TA down the hall but Mr Sands is being a dick and is making me talk aloud for the whole hour and since you’re the history nerd that everybody looks up to…” Mitchell scoffed at that but Anders just ignored him “If you would just laugh at the jokes, nod appreciatively when I say something really smart and amazing during the next hour or so that would be just great.” Mitchell crossed his arms and smirked at the blonde.

  
“So you want me to keep your popularity reputation intact whilst you deliver a lecture about history?” Anders cocked one eyebrow at him then smiled and chuckled quietly.

  
“Basically yeah, a touch sad isn't it?”

  
“Oh no,” Mitchell said sarcastically. “I completely understand how you’d need to keep your tall, dark intelligent persona fully intact.” He emphasised the tall and dark whilst watching the small blonde glare at him.

  
“Oh ha-ha, very funny Frodo. So will you do it? To protect my poor fragile reputation?” Mitchell scoffed and pushed off of the wall.

 

“How old are you anyhow?” Anders grinned.

  
“21 I graduate this year, you?” Mitchell stooped to grab his bag from the floor.

  
“I’m 20. You got one year on me short stuff.” Mr Sands appeared at the entrance to the hall and everyone slowly filed into their seats. Mitchell saw Anders saunter to the front of the room and hid a grin.

  
Anders presentation was indeed fucking hilarious and, for someone who claimed to be ‘too cool to study’, he knew a lot about it. By the end of the hour, Mitchell was wiping genuine tears from his eyes and holding back bursts of laughter from Ander’s hideous Norse puns: “Speaking of food What Greek god is so hot you could fry an egg on him? Pan,” “Hey I wonder why the number of parking tickets go up when Persephone gets carried off to the underworld? Because Demeter wasn't working.” When Mitchell left the hall he found Anders waiting for him outside and it was all he could do to stop himself from collapsing in a heap on the floor with laughter at the look of the pride on the blonde’s face.

  
“Oh my god, I can’t believe how much of a dork you are!” Ander’s narrowed his eyes and punched Mitchell lightly on the shoulder.

  
“Shut up.” Mitchell wiped a tear from his eye and stood straighter.

  
“No, you hide it well. You could have fooled me with your sauntering about the place in expensive clothes and that ‘I’m too cool to study’ attitude but now I know you’re just a big softy with a fondness for mythology!” Anders was grinning now.

  
“Oh hush your pretty Irish mouth Paddy McGuiness.” Mitchell faltered and blushed at the sudden compliment and Ander’s grin just widened as he stepped closer. Mr Sands opened the door and looked out at them.

  
“Oh Mr Johnson, you’re still here, excellent. A word please. Don’t worry Mr Mitchell, I won’t keep him long.” Mitchell nodded to Mr Sands “Sure, I’ll see you around Anders.” He waved before starting off down the corridor.

“Hey Mitchell!” He turned to see Anders running towards him, holding up Mitchell’s notes from the presentation, a collection of around three pages containing only insults towards the blonde’s numerous jokes, in his hand.

  
“Oh, thanks.” Mitchell took the notebook and smiled at the blonde who grinned cockily back and walked back to Mr Sands, strutting all the way. Mitchell smiled to himself and walked back towards his dormitory. As he rounded the corner of his dorm building, a girl coming the opposite way crashed into him, the contents of both their bags going all over the walkway and as Mitchell bent to retrieve the notebook, he saw sloppy handwriting on the first page followed by a string of digits: Thanks for the support today Frodo, see you around Anders


	2. Awkward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aidan and Dean meet at a party whilst searching for their friends Martin and Richard. When they find them... well... it's all a little bit awkward...
> 
> un-betad at present so all mistakes are mine. There's always bound to be something I've missed so I apologise for that
> 
> Any comments are welcomed, good or not so good (but try to word it nicely or I might end up crying...)  
> Thank you for reading and to MyTrexHasFleas for helping me find my confidence.
> 
> Beta'd by the wonderful MyTrexHasFleas so any mistakes are hopefully all gone now. Whoo!

‘…and it turns out our friends are making out with each other, this is awkward’ au

When his room-mate Richard has suggested they check out this party he had agreed in a heartbeat, anything to get his mind off of his lack of income since graduating six months ago. But now, at almost 3am, he stood alone leaning against the far wall and nursing his fourth beer. Dean was beginning to get a headache. He sighed and cursed as he scanned the room for his friend. All around him people drank and danced and laughed but there was no sign of Richard anywhere. He felt a surge of irritation. Richard had promised that they’d leave at a reasonable time. 

As he shuffled awkwardly around the dancing masses he almost collided with Adam Brown, a member of Dean’s old photography course turned friend. Adam worked for a big time photography magazine and, try as he might to feel nothing but happy for his friend, Dean had a hard time not feeling jealous of his friend’s accomplishments.

“Hey Adam,” he said, catching Adam by the waist as he started to lose his balance. His cheeks were flushed bright pink and he was smiling widely. “How are you?” Adam swung his hips and threw his arms in the air.

“I’m doing amazing Dean! This party is awesome. Dance with me Dean!” he grabbed Dean’s shoulders and the two swayed back and forth together, completely out of sync with the song blaring over the speakers. Dean held back laughter “How’s work, any luck yet?” Adam shouted over the music. 

“No, not much luck at all. I was turned down again this morning… that’s ten times now Adam. I guess no where’s hiring photographers right now….” Adam dropped his hands and patted Dean on the back, a little too hard, making Dean shake. He was surprised at the small man’s strength. 

“You’ll find something. You've just got to believe in yourself Dean, as cliché as that sounds…. Just keep going. You’ll get there.” Dean hugged him.

“Thanks Adam.” Adam nodded very seriously.

“I’m here to please.” Dean laughed and looked around the room once more. Not seeing Richard anywhere, he sighed. 

“Have you seen Richard around? We kinda need to get going.” 

“Sorry Deano, Haven’t seen him in a few hours… try the kitchen?” He slung an arm around Dean’s shoulders and almost fell over as his eyes opened wide in shock. “Look at that!” Dean followed his eye line and saw Graham McTavish looking equally drunk and dancing with all the grace and dexterity of a bull in a china stop. A herd of students were dancing and laughing with him. Graham stooped and picked up a small blonde girl, spinning her haphazardly around in sloppy circles. Adam was looking at him like he was a gift from god. Dean hid a grin and patted him on the head.

“Go get him Adam.” He patted Adam on the back a little too hard and sent him stumbling towards McTavish. 

The apartment was like a maze, every room was a jumble of drunken twenty somethings. He tried the kitchen, the bathroom and the hallway before he heard Richards rumbling laugh coming from one of the bedrooms in the far hallway. Dean twisted the door knob and the door swung open. What greeted him was the sight of Richard pressed up against the wall, tongue firmly lodged down the throat of a pretty blonde. He barely even glanced at Dean as his new ‘friend’ slipped their hand up the back of his shirt and his eyes rolled back in pleasure. “Come on Rich, we need to go!” Richard continued to ignore him and Dean leant against the wall, glaring at his friend as he continued groping the blonde. After about five minutes of coaxing, Dean sighed and glared at the two of them who were too wrapped up in themselves to notice even notice him. 

There was movement by the door as another man pushed it open. He was tall and slim with black curly hair and brown eyes. He looked worn out and sighed when he saw Richard and the blonde pinned against the wall. He ran a hand through his hair, his face twisting in annoyance.

“Martin, we need to go, Rob just got here and I really do not want to deal with shit from my ex right now!” Martin simply gripped Richard’s hair tight between his fingers, apparently unaware of the man’s outburst.

“Rich please I’m tired and cranky and …oh dear god move your hand please there are people here!” The man jumped slightly and turned to Dean, flushing red as he came over to stand beside him. 

“Sorry, I've never seen Mar this drunk before… how long have you been here?” The man spoke with an Irish lilt that made Dean feel a little woozy. He was a sucker for the Irish and the man in front of him was truly a sight to behold. Pale skin, dark eyes and this gorgeous disarray of hair. He shrugged and held up his hands. 

“Ten minutes thereabouts. I've been trying to separate them for a while, they just won’t quit. I’m Dean by the way and that,” he pointed a finger at Richard as he pushed Martin down onto the bed in the centre of the room, “that’s Richard.” The dark haired man smiled awkwardly and held out his hand.

“Aidan. Uh…I guess we just wait for them to be done huh?” Dean pressed his lips together and crossed his arms over his chest. Aidan mirrored his position beside him and the two stayed like that, side by side.   
Dean kept side glancing at the beautiful man and saw his cheeks flame up as they stood there in silence. After what felt like an age of slurping sounds and hushed groans Martin started moaning and Richard started swearing and Aidan and Dean slammed the door shut behind them, faces scorching as they leant on the wall either side of the closed door. 

“I don’t think I will ever get that image out of my mind…” Dean muttered, shivering. Aidan chuckled.

“Never…” they looked at each other for a few moments. Their friend’s moans were getting louder and louder and Den’s face scrunched up in embarrassment whilst Aidan’s eyes widened and he plugged his ears for a moment before deciding it was a futile attempt and stared at the floor. “Well this is awkward…” Aidan laughed quietly in agreement and then glanced up, his whole body going rigid. “Oh god hide me.” Dean didn’t have time to respond before Aidan grabbed his shoulders and positioned himself behind Dean, body pushed up against his.   
“You know” Dean said, a little breathlessly. “I’m shorter than you are so he can still see you.” Aidan panicked and ripped the door to the bedroom open, slamming it shut just as a tall man sauntered past.

“Sorry about that,” Aidan walked out of the room and stopped beside Dean, closer than he had been before.

“No worries.” Dean replied with a smile. They watched Rob chatting up several girls and guys before angrily shouting at one poor girl as she explained that the man beside her was her boyfriend. Rob immediately started flirting with said boyfriend. Dean smirked back at Aidan, trying to lift the mood. “Hell of an ex you got there my friend.” Aidan scoffed and grabbed a beer from a tray as it went past.

“I know, I’m a brilliant judge of character me.” Dean grinned and the two of the clinked bottles, downing their contents. 

“Oh,” Aidan said loudly. The bedroom door swung open to reveal a dishevelled looking Martin and Richard. Lazy grins plastered to both of their faces. “Hello princess, are you sated now?” Martin blushed bright red and hit him on the arm.   
“Sorry about that Dean…” Richard rubbed the back of his head with his hand. “Spur of the moment thing you know? Plus Martins got this gorgeous little…”   
“Oh god I don’t want to know I don’t want to know!” Dean shouted.  
“Ha-ha, anyway, Dean this is Martin. Marty baby, this is my best friend Dean O’Gorman.” Martin held out a hand and Dean took it hesitantly. 

“And this is Aidan.” Aidan and Richard shook hands, neither of them quite meeting the others eye. “Did you say that you needed some photography work Dean?” Martin asked as they walked towards the front door. Aidan reached to grab their coats and held Dean’s out to him. 

“That’s right I was about to tell you.” Aidan said, pulling on a tight leather jacket. Dean gulped and buttoned his own coat. “I work in this publishing house and the non-fiction division of the company is looking for a photographer for this new line of travel guides. He needs one really urgently, I’ll give you my number and I can recommend you.” Dean swelled with excitement and gladly handed over his phone. 

“Ok, I’ve put the office number in yours, take mine as well… just in case you know...” Dean complied and all four of them said their goodbyes at the front door. Aidan and Martin went one way and Richard and Dean went the other.

“Well that was fun.” Richard said wistfully. Dean scoffed and pulled out his phone and looked at it. 

“For you maybe.”

“You’re going to call him right?” Richard demanded. Dean shrugged. 

“We met whilst watching you and Martin get it on… it was the most awkward encounter of my life.” Richard crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow at him.

“But you’re going to call him right?” Dean grinned at him and patted his shoulder. 

“Of course I am Rich. As soon as I can get the image of your bare ass out of my head.”


	3. Press help to alert a flight attendant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fili was roped into working an extra flight to cover for his friend and before the plane even leaves the airport, passengers are asking for his help... Kili is terrified of flying and Fili thinks he's adorable.

‘I’m a flight attendant and you are terribly afraid of flying and keep pressing the help button every five minutes so it’s a good job you’re cute’ AU

The first time seat D11’s ‘Help requested’ light flashed, the plane hadn't even taken off yet. Fili was tired, this was his fourth consecutive flight and he was jet lagged as hell. His friend and fellow attendant Bofur wasn’t feeling too good and Fili had said he would cover his next two flights. He walked down the aisle carefully, swaying with the plane to avoid falling on his face. He stopped to pick up a child’s dropped bear and to give an older man a pair of headphones so he could tune out the screaming of the baby in front of him. When he got to seat D11 he saw, to his delight, a very gorgeous man before him. He sat rigid in the reclining seat, hands locked onto the arm rests in a death grip that turned his knuckles white. His feet were repeatedly tapping on the floor and his eyes were darting everywhere around him in a startled fashion. He looked about Fili’s age and, though it was hard to tell with him sitting down, he looked a lot taller than his five foot six. All in all the poor man looked like he was about to claw his way through the body of the plane to get outside. This was going to be a long flight. 

“Sir, are you ok?” The man jumped and looked up at him, dark brown eyes meeting Fili’s blue ones.

“Um… not really… the plane’s going to be ok right?” Fili frowned slightly.

“I’m sorry?” The man ran a hand through long dark hair and swept it behind his ears. He began mumbling, a rambling list of words that Fili found hard to keep up with.

“The plane’s not going to fall out of the sky right? Are the wings welded on properly? What if we crash into the ocean...” he looked up at him, genuine fear shining in his eyes. “I can’t swim.”

“Uh…um…” Fili stayed quiet, unsure of how to respond to so many questions at once. 

“He’s scared of flying.” A booming voice said from behind them. A giant of a man sat in E11. He had tattoos printed intricately across his bald head and a thick beard that shifted as he spoke. “That it lad?” The young dark haired man nodded quickly and Fili smiled in thanks at the elder man and bent down to the passenger’s level. 

“Sir? There’s nothing to be afraid of. I promise that the plane is in perfect flying condition and we will land safely in a few short hours ok? ” He laid one hand on the young man’s shoulder and squeezed gently. The man did not look ok but he nodded nonetheless. “Think of something positive. How about you tell me where you’re going huh? Take your mind off of it.” The man swallowed and Fili reluctantly moved his hand. 

“I’m just visiting my cousin in Westminster.” He said quietly. “What about you?” Fili lent one elbow on the back of his seat and smiled at him.

“I’m standing in for a friend who can’t make this flight. I might visit some friends… do some work. Travel a bit you know.” Kili looked interested. 

“Well what do you do?” Fili was glad that he was looking a little more comfortable.

“I’m a chef. Or at least I’m studying to be.” They talked for a few minutes before Fili noticed the other flight attendant waving him over to begin the pre-flight safety instructions. As painful as it was for Fili to leave him in this state, he knew that the pilot was going to signal for take-off any minute. 

An hour into the flight Fili had counted 22 times that the help light for seat D11 had flashed. The young man, introduced as Kili on flash number 7, had been pressing the button every few minutes or so for a drink of a blanket or for the simple reassurance that they weren’t all about to die a hideous death. The man that sat behind Kili had introduced himself as Dwalin. He was on his way to meet up with a friend and was also travelling alone. By the 16th flash, Dwalin was in the seat next to Kili’s. They were laughing when Fili approached and stood with his hands on his hips.

“What can I get for you boys?” Dwalin looked up at him.

“Sorry about that lad. Can I have another glass?” He held out his small plastic wine glass and Fili took it from him. Kili looked like he finally started to calm down. He was slumped back in his seat and gave Fili a lazy smile when he noticed them.

“Hey Fili, I’m sorry about earlier.” His words were slurring slightly and his cheeks had a pinkish tint to them. 

“Dwalin how much has he had?” Dwalin smirked.

“Just enough to keep him relaxed laddie.” Fili chuckled and looked back at Kili before moving off back up to the top of the plane to collect Dwalin’s wine.

Flash 24 happened two hours later. The plane had just hit a load of turbulence and Fili was talking to Ori about the rude old man that was sat in the very last row when it went off. Fili grinned as he made his way down the plane. Kili’s lucky he’s so cute. He thought to himself. 

“Hey Kili.” He said as he approached. Kili was sat upright and staring out of the window. Dwalin was fast asleep and leaning into his shoulder, snoring loudly. Though Kili didn’t seem to mind him. He was, however, once again looking terrified. “You know, turbulence is very common and it doesn't mean anything bad is going to happen…” Kili opened his mouth to respond and the plane gave another great lurch and he yelped and stapled his hands to the arm rests. Dwalin snored on.

“Please just, talk to me some more.” He said. Fili looked around before sitting in the seat beside Dwalin and looking at him.

“Twenty questions?” Kili nodded. “Alright….where are you from?”

“I grew up in London but I moved to Ireland when I was about 17 or so.” Fili could hear the slight lilt to Kili’s voice. “Family?” 

“I live with my mother, my dad died when I was little.” Fili responded. “Favourite Lord of the Rings film?” Kili smiled.

“Well, the best battle scenes were in the last one so probably…”

“What! Oh come on, Helm’s Deep was the best battle in those films!” Kili looked shocked. “But Aragon’s loyalty to Frodo and the reclaiming of Gondor… come on The Return Of The King was obviously the best!” Fili shook his head.

“No way man, Two Towers for the win every time.” The plane jolted violently and Kili clung to his arm to keep upright which resulted in their faces getting pressed close together. Fili blushed but enjoyed the feeling of Kili’s hand on his. They sat like that for a while, taking turns to ask the other questions. Fili learnt that Kili was visiting his cousin Gimli since he was going to get married in a few weeks. He learnt that Kili loved fantasy novels and that he despised rap music. By the time the plane was under an hour away from London and the turbulence had died down Fili had learnt a lot about the brunet and Kili was looking a lot more relaxed. Ori waved him over and Fili reluctantly left Kili to rouse a sleeping Dwalin and met Ori half way up the aisle. 

“Where have you been?” Ori demanded. “I was stuck with that asshole in the first row all on my own!” Fili winced. 

“I’m sorry Ori there was a passenger who’s really scared of flying and he needed help.” Ori looked around him and saw Kili and Dwalin talking quietly. 

“Well. He is adorable so I suppose I can let you off.” Fili sighed in relief. “But,” Ori continued. “You need to bring the asshat something to drink whilst I go chat to the captain about the landing procedures.” Fili sagged but accepted his punishment. 

He bought the old man a drink and was subjected to a five minute lecture on the fact that there were only two ice cubes in it, not three. Fili smiled politely and corrected the order. He was used to people being a dick to the flight team but he had been trained to show no anger towards passengers… even when they made him want to throw them out of the bloody plane altogether.

He ran his hands through his long blonde hair and re-tied it as Ori walked past him and grinned at his misfortune. Fili narrowed his eyes and flipped him off. 

The captain signalled for landing and Ori and Fili took their places in the seats at the front and the middle of the plane. Fili sat down and saw that he was right beside Kili and Dwalin. He waved and Dwalin waved back. Kili looked at Fili and then turned his head away quickly, colour filling his cheeks. Dwalin laughed loudly and bumped Kili’s shoulder with his own. Fili found himself blushing too.  
As the plane started to descend he saw Kili cling to Dwalin’s arm and Dwalin shushed him quietly. Fili wished he could be helping instead. Be the one to wrap an arm around Kili and tell him everything was ok. But he was glad that Kili was getting the support he needed. He caught Dwalin’s eye and saw the older man’s eyes sparkle as he raised his eyebrows and Fili had the distinct feeling that Dwalin knew what he had just thought. 

The plane landed and Fili and Ori moved to the front of the plane to thank the passengers as they left. Dwalin and Kili waited until everyone else had gone. Dwalin tipped his head to Fili as he passed and winked for good measure, making Fili’s face flush. He smiled and waved. Kili stopped in front of him. “Thank you for helping me… I’m really sorry for all the trouble I caused.” Fili waved his apology away.

“Don’t worry about it, I was happy to help.” Kili smiled shyly. “Where will you be studying?” Fili rubbed the back of his head. 

“Um... somewhere around Oxford I think? Only for a few days then I’ll be headed to Westminster to visit friends.” Kili’s smiled looked hopeful. 

“Oh well um… maybe I’ll see you around then?” Fili looked puzzled for a moment before remembering that Kili’s cousin Gimli lived in Westminster. “Yeah. I’d like that.” Kili’s smile widened into a grin and Fili could see dimples forming on his cheeks that made his heart swell. “Good to see you smile.” Kili chuckled and bent to pick up his bag.

Fili quickly picked up a napkin and scribbled his number down before handing it to Kili. “Call me soon ok?” he winked and Kili’s face flushed deeper as he took the napkin and carefully folded it, placing it into the back pocket of his jeans. 

“I’ll see you around.” He said over his shoulder. Fili grinned and waved at him. 

“I hope you fly with us again soon.” Ori elbowed him swiftly and gave him a sly look. 

“Looks like you’re going to have a good time in London hey?” Fili smiled and looked back to Kili, following the brunets figure as he walked towards the airport.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up we're diverting from the Aidean variations and going for a little Skulduggery action. Stay tuned


	4. So you want to kill these guys too?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in the same day?! Well... technically not the same day but you know  
> This is China/Tanith from the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy. 
> 
> The Pensar are a gang of thieves and Tanith is sent by the British sanctuary to eliminate them and secure the stolen items. China just wants her books back. 
> 
> This is a bit different from the previous chapters in more than just the characters involved but I was really rather proud of this one so there you go. I'm off to bed now xD  
> Nigh all xx

‘Wait, you've here to kill these guys too?’ AU

China/Tanith

China gazed out of the car window at the building in front of her. The Dublin street was quiet in the early hours of the morning and there was no one around. She hid a smile. Now or never. She plaited her long dark hair over one shoulder, eyes never leaving the building, scanning for guns or traps any sign that someone had noticed her arrival but she saw none. She stepped from the car and motioned for the driver to pull away. Once she was left alone she allowed herself an angelic smile and crept towards the back entrance.

Tanith gazed down at the building from her place atop the one next door. She scanned for any signs of disturbance and, seeing none, took her sword from beneath her coat moving it carefully to avoid it catching in the moonlight. She didn’t want to give away her position. She stood in one fluid movement and walked backwards for about fifty feet to the other end of the building’s roof. She took a deep breath, focussed her breathing and sprinted for the edge. She was airborne for a few moments before landing gracefully on the warehouses roof, rolling to her feet in a single movement, sword poised for an attack. She had been successful. No one had noticed her. Tanith grinned and stalked to the door.

The first two men were sitting by the reception desk. A wave of energy smashed into one, hurling him against a wall and pinning him there. The second noticed her and reached for his gun but China was faster and with a tap of her forearm, a blue symbol pulsed and the metal of the gun turned red, scorching the man’s hand. China’s arm wrapped around his neck and, after a brief struggle, he fell to the ground unconscious. The whole attack had been completely silent. China moved to the staircase and started to climb. 

Lucion had told her that the Pensar occupied the fourth floor and she was currently on floor one. That made a lot of stairs and a lot of men to go through. China glanced down. There was blood on her new shoes. A lot more men… she smiled and started running.

Tanith found three men waiting on the seventh floor. One of the men. A stout man with greasy blonde hair smiled a crooked yellow teethed smile. “Oh I’m gonna kill you girlie.” He taunted. Tanith laughed.

“I hate to disappoint you but that’s not going to happen. Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough.” The man ran at her and Tanith retreated to the wall and continued running upside down over the man’s head and dropping down behind him. She sent a kick into his side and he reeled. He second man grabbed for her arm and missed but on his second attempt he snagged her coat and Tanith twirled out of it and head butted the first man as he was getting to his feet. She kicked the third man as he made a swipe for her throat with his knife. She got her sword up in front of her and swung it, catching one of the men in the gut. He went down and stayed down. She caught the second in the stomach as he ran at her and whipped the hilt of her sword up and into the third as he approached her from behind. She bashed the hilt repeatedly into the last of them men as he approached her from behind he reeled backwards and Tanith seized the moment, driving her sword through his chest. They all collapsed to the ground and Tanith sheathed her sword and retrieved her coat. She was panting and covered in blood. She swore and wiped her mouth before moving to the door. She stood, back against the wall and looked out into the hallway. There was no sound of approaching enemies. Satisfied that no one had heard anything, Tanith opened the door and moved down the hallway. She’d found out that the gang was on the fourth floor so she found a staircase and started her descent. 

She reached the fourth floor and paused outside the door. She listened and judged that around there twenty people were inside. The whole gang must have gathered in one place, how lucky for me. She thought and pushed open the door.

“Hello gentlemen.” The men whirled round to see Tanith leaning against the wall, casually twirling her sword in one hand. 

“Miss Low.” The leader of the gang stood in the middle of the room. One mister Claude Raven, a pathetic weasel of a man with a high reedy voice that made Tanith want to clap her hands over her ears. He was trying his best to seem threatening but he sounded more like a pubescent boy trying to show off in front of his classmates. “So nice of you to join us. We were expecting you.” Tanith rose an eyebrow and walked forward. The men retreated as she passed, unsure of what to do. 

“Really so the three men I dismembered on the seventh floor. You planned for them to die?” The man hesitated and Tanith smiled at him. “I don’t think you were expecting me at all, were you Raven. You weren't expecting anyone. You thought you were just going to just slink away into the shadows after stealing from the British sanctuary? You must be out of your mind.” 

“And since when were you a lap dog for the British sanctuary?” A man standing beside Raven sneered. Tanith smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m freelance. But you, Raven, when I heard you were involved, I took the job. It’ll bring me great delight to end your theft ring.” Raven smiled and gave a curt nod of the head. The Pensar gang closed in around her and Tanith lunged forward.

China got to the fourth floor and heard the sounds of combat. She cursed and threw herself into the room. In the flurry of activity she couldn't see who the gang were fighting. A man lunged for her and she tapped both her forearms, sending a wave of energy into the room that ruptured bones and sent him flailing around her before collapsing to the ground. She fainted a kick low down and slapped it high, catching a man in the chest and threw a punch at another man that tried to rush her from the left. She felt a presence above her and looked up to see a familiar figure swinging a familiar sword from the ceiling. 

“Miss Low, what are you doing here?” Tanith sliced at the arm of her attacker and battered his arms away. She flipped and landed beside China. 

“China Sorrows? I’m here because I was hired to take down the Pensar. What’re you doing here?” China opened her mouth to speak but a gang member threw himself at her, colliding with her and sending them both sprawling to the ground. She tried to get her feet under her but he was too heavy. He pressed her down onto the floor and grinned menacingly at her. She felt her finger tips inch towards his face. When they made contact she focussed and felt them heat up. The man reared back in pain and scorch marks appeared on his face, the exact size and shape of China’s dainty fingers. She gasped and hauled herself to her feet. Tanith currently had one man in a choke hold. 

“I’m here to retrieve what’s mine from these fine gentlemen.” Tanith bought her other hand up and twisted. The man fell to the ground. Three more attackers lunged at China and she battered them away as if they were nothing at all.

“Huh. So Raven,” She directed this behind her to where Claude Raven was still standing in the middle of the room cowering away from the violence. His men were stalking the two women, weapons poised for a fresh round of onslaught. “You stole from China Sorrows? I’m guessing you have a death wish.” She turned back to China. “So you’re here to kill them too?” China shrugged.

“I’m here to retrieve my lost artefacts,” she tapped her hips and another wave of blue energy crashed into the nearest man “but if it comes to that.” She grinned at Raven “I wouldn't lose sleep over it.” Tanith grinned. The two stood back to back. There were only around eight men still standing including Raven. 

Tanith sprang one way and China strode the other. She made quick work of the first two men, tapping out a sharp rhythm on her hips, elbows and thighs. Hitting them repeatedly until they could not longer stand. Tanith threw her a discarded knife as she fought off two assailants. China ducked a swipe of a gun butt swinging the knife diagonally down and through a third man’s chest. She was panting now but she couldn't afford to rest. Five to go. She bought her knee up and into the gut of one man and flipped him over her hip and to the ground. Hard. Tanith stomped on his chest and slammed the hilt of her blade into his head.

“Your style suits you Miss Low.” China commented. Tanith smiled at her. 

“And yours suits you China. Is there anything you can’t do with extreme amount of grace?” China shrugged.

“Is there anything you can do with any amount of grace”? She responded. Tanith head-butted and kicked and slapped. She fought dirty and she knew it.

“I fight in a way that gets the job done, I don’t need and fancy moves or waves of energy to take down my enemies.” China did not scoff as a rule but she did make a small indignant sound that made Tanith’s grin grow wider. “I have my style.” She said, elbowing a man in the jaw and hearing a cracking as it snapped. “You have yours, let’s agree to disagree.” China held back a smile and nodded curtly.

Tanith drove forward but two men got right up in front of her and she couldn't advance any further. “Help me get the ceiling!” she shouted. China instantly locked her hands behind her and Tanith stepped into them. China pushed up and Tanith shot to the ceiling, gripping it and swinging her below her. China used to knife to dispatch three more men in a flurry of twirls and slashes and, before long, it was only Raven left.

He had retreated to the other side of the room as the numbers of his men had dwindled and now, he was almost at the door. Tanith ran at him from above and China from below. Tanith got there first and slashed her sword, forcing Raven away from the door. She flipped down and stood against it, blocking his exit. China approached with all the poise and grace of an angel but her pale eyes were cold and stern. She grabbed Raven by the scruff of his shirt and held her face dangerously close to his. 

“Where are my books raven?” she asked quietly. Raven looked like he was about to cry. He writhed in her grip but China only tightened it. “I won’t ask again.” She seethed. Raven was openly sobbing now and he pointed upwards. 

“They’re in the store cupboard,” he whimpered “In the room above this one. Please let me go. Oh god I beg you let me go!” Tanith took a pair of handcuffs out of her coat pocket and China forced Raven’s arms behind his back as she secured them.

“Don’t worry Raven.” Tanith said cheerfully. “You’re going to a nice warm cell where you’ll stay for the rest of your life.” 

The cuffed Raven to the radiator in the fourth floor hallway and climbed the stairs side by side in silence. There was indeed a store cupboard on the fifth floor and China reached in and bought out five heavy leather bound books. She sighed in quiet relief and stacked them carefully by the door. 

The descended the stairs together. Tanith leading between them with the blade of her sword, China bringing up the rear, holding her books to her chest. 

The sun was beginning to rise as they stepped out onto the street. Tanith cuffed Raven to a lamppost and pulled out her phone. 

“Thank you for the help China.” She said with a smile. “Even if it wasn’t asked for.” China nodded coolly and smiled a small smile. China’s driver rounded the corner and pulled up at the curb. China placed the book carefully into the back seat and turned to look at the blonde. 

“You understand why I will not wait for the sanctuary to arrive.” She said “I simply wanted to retrieve what was mine.” Tanith nodded seriously and gave a small bow. 

“I’ll be seeing you around Miss Sorrows.” She called. China smile turned playful.

“Oh will you?” Tanith cocked her head and smirked. 

“Yeah, maybe even later on tonight.” China’s face became indifferent but Tanith thought she saw a glint in those pale blue eyes of hers.

“Well,” she said “you are welcome to drop by the library any time you want. Good morning Miss Low.” With that China got into her car and the driver pulled out onto the road. Tanith watched it until the tail lights disappeared around a corner. She allowed a moment to smile before dialling her phone and putting it to her ear.

“I've apprehended the Pensar, I've got Claude Raven in cuffs outside number 8 in Ailesbury Road… ok I’ll wait for you here…”


	5. Wait so you are drawing me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanith is on a stake out. A very boring stakeout when she notices that the man sitting across from her keeps glancing at her and then at the pad in his lap.
> 
> Still Skulduggery Pleasant. This time it's Ghastly/Tanith

• In any public place: I could swear you keep looking at me, hang on are you drawing me  
Tanith/Ghastly

Tanith was bored. The stakeout on the business man on the fourth floor of the office building on O'Connell Street was never going to be ground-breaking but Tanith had hoped something would have happen by her fifth hour. She hadn't been allowed to know his name but she’d been told he had done some pretty unspeakable things that had made the English sanctuary very bent on capturing him. She sighed and looked up at the sky. At least it was a nice day. It was late autumn but the afternoon sun was still struggling through the clouds, making the park unseasonably sunny for the time of year. Tanith shrugged out of her coat and folded it on the bench behind her, being careful to conceal the sheathed sword beneath it. She rolled her shoulder and neck, feeling the bones pop pleasantly and looked back up to the building.

She was sat there for an hour before she noticed him. He was sat on another bench a few feet across from her bent over a notepad of some kind, his broad shoulders rippling under and expensive looking button up shirt as he scribbled. His sleeves weren’t turned up despite the warmth of the afternoon. His head was bowed and he wore a hat pulled low over his face. Tanith found herself studying the man closer and noticed that he would glance up at her occasionally, his face was covered in scars, thin slivers of puckered skin like he’d been repeatedly slashed with a razor. The scars looked old and by the way he bowed his head, Tanith could tell he’d had his fair share of unkind comments made about them. She noticed that he would look up at her and then quickly back down to his pad. She narrowed her eyes and studied him a little closer, shifting her position and swapping her legs over so they crossed in the opposite direction. She watched him glance up again and frown. Tanith smiled and pulled her blonde hair back behind her ears. The man looked up once more and his frown deepened. When his gazed once again returned to the pad Tanith made sure the office building was still quiet and got up. She moved towards the bench the man occupied and sat next to him. Glancing over his shoulder she saw her own face looking back at her. He had caught her as she observed the building, head turned at a three quarter angle. It was a gorgeous drawing. The man’s hands were covered in graphite marks and the page looked a little worn. He must have been studying her for a while. 

“So you are drawing me.” The man jumped from the seat and Tanith crossed her arms over her chest, smirking up at him. His eyes were a gorgeous blue. 

“I…I” He was blushing and Tanith held back a grin.

“Shouldn’t you ask a girl before drawing her in a public park?” The man looked like he was about to bolt. She laughed and patted the bench beside her, “Oh calm down Picasso, I’m actually kind of flattered take a seat and let me see.” He hesitated but re-took his seat looking at her nervously.

“I’m really sorry, I was on my break and I’ve been looking for a female model for some coats I’ve been hired to make so when I saw you I had of start drawing.” He looked at her. “You have the perfect figure.” She raised an eyebrow and he blushed again. “I mean. For the coat…” She laughed again and held out her hand.

“I’m Tanith.” She said. The man took her hand in his, sighing in embaressment.

“Ghastly. Ghastly bespoke.” They sat in silence for a while. Tanith observing the building and Ghastly twirling his pencil around his fingers. 

“You can finish if you like.” She said quietly. Ghastly hesitated. “I’m going to be here for a while anyway so you can finish your drawing.” Ghastly looked at her. 

“You sure you don’t mind?” Tanith shrugged and sent him a side long glance.

“Nah, I’m actually quite vain so go ahead.” She smirked and Ghastly smiled and took off his hat, setting it down on the bench beside him. His head was bald and covered in the same rigid scars as his face. He bent back to his pad. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, the scratches of Ghastly’s pencil against paper filling the space between them.

“So why are you sitting here for so long?” He asked, drawing the curve of Tanith’s neck. Tanith bent back the collar of her shirt and rolled up the sleeves, revealing strong muscled forearms. She leant back against the bench.

“I’m… waiting for someone, they don’t finish work for a while so I’m waiting here.” She looked around. “I like the park too. The autumn weather’s so peaceful. ”She turned her face towards the sun and Ghastly, deciding he rather liked that angle, quickly sketched the line of her chin. “You?” Ghastly glanced between her and the paper. 

“Oh, I like drawing in the open air. I was on my way back from a delivery and decided to take a break. I never go anywhere without this thing.” He motioned to the sketch pad. 

“So Ghastly, since you are currently getting to know me very well whilst scrutinising me so closely. Can I ask you the big question?” Ghastly chuckled and motioned to his face.

“You want to know how I got these.” Tanith simply watched him and didn’t answer. Ghastly set his pencil down and looked at her. 

“I was born with them. My mother was jinxed when she was pregnant with me and I was born like this. We tried all sorts of spells and medicines to fix them but nothing worked.” He shrugged “In the end I got used to them.” They locked eyes with each other and Tanith watched Ghastly’s blue eyes deepen in sorrow for a moment before returning to their clear blue once more. 

“Well,” she started “For what it’s worth think they suit you.” Ghastly raised an eyebrow. “What?” he shook his head. They maintained eye contact for a long moment before Ghastly broke it and picked up his pencil, shading the contours of her cheeks bones.

“Nothing, you’re a strange woman Tanith.” Tanith grinned and returned her gaze to the sky. 

“Thank you.” 

Hours passed and there was still no sign of movement from the office building. Not that Tanith minded so much anymore. She liked Ghastly a lot. He was sarcastic and intelligent and easy on the eyes if she did say so herself. “So, you can draw you can sew. Is there anything else you've got hidden up your sleeve Mr Bespoke?” Ghastly’s laughter was raspy and Tanith liked the sound of it. 

“Well, I’m pretty good in the kitchen according to my friends.” Tanith clapped her hands together, resulting in a scolding from Ghastly. 

“Wonderful! I love a man that can cook.” 

“I’ll be sure to make you something some time.” He teased. Ghastly put down his pencil and starred at the pad for a long moment, then back at Tanith. 

“Oh is it done? Can I see?” Ghastly handed over the pad and stood up. 

“Excuse for a moment, I need to get something from my car.” He needed his coloured pencils so he could start colouring. He looked back as he left and saw Tanith grinning down at the picture of herself. He smiled and continued back to his car.

It was perfect, the level of detail was almost akin to a photograph. Tanith couldn't stop starring at herself. Suddenly there was a loud thumping noise and Tanith looked up to see the door of the office building slamming open and there he was. The mark she’d been staking out all day. He was angrily stalking towards a black car on the other side of the street. Tanith grabbed her coat and sword and began running for her bike before remembering the sketchpad she still held in her hands. She stooped to pick up the pencil and hurriedly started scribbling.

When Ghastly got back to the bench there was no sign of Tanith. His heart sank as he dropped his bag onto the grass and sat down heavily. He noticed the sketchpad placed neatly on the bench and picked it up. It was still open on Tanith’s portrait but there was a message written on an angle in the bottom corner of the page. 

Ghastly, my friend arrived so I had to leave. I’m sorry I couldn't thank you properly the picture is amazing. I’ll meet you back here at 9 o'clock tonight. See you then  
P.S I like stake, Tanith. Ghastly read it again and looked at his watch. 4 o'clock. He smiled and closed the sketchpad then wondered back to his car. He stopped off at the butchers on his way home and picked up two stakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any mistakes are my own and since it is 2 in the morning, there are probably some really stupid ones but the mistakes are my own so sorry about that x


	6. For A While Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack asks about a picture that Ianto keeps close to him at all times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise this is a very short one so I'll make the next one extra long but this is a piece I found that I wrote a while ahgo so I thought it deserved its moment. xD

Jack comforts Ianto... sort of 

Jack had fallen asleep. The moment they’d all returned from hovering up a woman from the Cardiff street rather unfortunate incident involving a Mansar, a half lion, half man that had the ability to pulverise their victims. They’d all returned after informing the girl’s boyfriend of the news. Jack had taken one look at his exhausted team and sent them all home at once. He collapsed into his desk chair and fallen asleep. He sat for a while, finishing the papers he’d neglected earlier. The sound of rustling papers bought him back to the present and Jack remembered that Ianto would more than likely still be in the Hub. He emerged from his office and walked to the balcony overlooking the main body of the Hub, rubbing his neck, trying to ease the stiffness that had gathered there. He leant onto the railings and watched Ianto work his way around the Hub. As he watched Jack found myself looking at Ianto closer than he usually would. His frame was slim but well built. Muscles tensing as he worked under those tailored suits he insisted on wearing. As he worked a piece of paper fell from his back pocket and once he had left the room Jack walked down the stairs and picked it up. It was a photograph of a slightly younger Ianto, smiling gorgeously into the camera, one arm around a tall blonde haired man and the other round a petite brunette.  
"That's me a week before the invasion." Ianto stood in the doorway, a sad smile on his face.  
"Who are the other two?" he asked, walking over to stand beside him.  
"The man is Liam, our doctor and the woman is Alice, another researcher." His voice sounded sad and far away. "They were good friends." Jack smiled sadly at him. He regretted asking, it seemed to bring back sad memories for the young man.   
"You looked happy." He murmured. Ianto’s was louder and he stepped away from Jack’s side. Jack frowned at the loss of the man’s warmth.  
"That because I was Sir, they were the happiest days of my life, until now." He smiled warmly at me. Jack groaned. He always had a soft spot for the title especially when it came from a man as pretty as Ianto.  
"I wish you wouldn't call me sir."  
"But I think you enjoy it sir." He smiled at him and Jack smirked. Ianto could always read him better than most. Jack realised how much he wanted to kiss him in that moment, so Jack did just that. He leant forward and brought his lips softly to Ianto’s. He sighed and his hands reached up to grasp Jack’s hair.  
"I've wanted you to do that for a long time." Ianto said, pulling back to and resting their foreheads together. Jack just smiled and pulled him back in for another kiss. The photograph of him, Liam and Alice fell to the ground. Forgotten at least for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading so far and for comments and Kudos, it's a real confidence booster!


	7. The Gaffer's Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo owns a restaurant and Thorin is his first critic

The Gaffer’s Garden was buzzing despite the fact it was only 7 o'clock. The doors had barely opened before a ramble of hungry guests had flooded through the doors. Poor Ori had looked quite distressed as he rushed customers to their tables. It was his first night on the job and Bilbo gave his friend a thumbs up as he trotted past with a chilled bottle of wine. 

Bilbo was terrified. He sat in the kitchen, nervously wringing the edge of his apron whilst the rest of his chefs finished off the preparation for the evenings service. The Gaffer’s Garden had been open for exactly one month and business had been steadily increasing as more and more customers spoke of the culinary delights that the young man from Bag End could create. Bilbo sighed again and re-read once more the sheet of paper before him.

Dear Master Baggins,   
I have heard great things about your establishment and wish to commend you on doing so well in such a short amount of time. I will be dining at your restaurant on the 13th July at 8 o’clock.  
Regards,  
Thorin Oakenshield.

Thorin Oakenshield was a much renounced critic that had eaten in some of the finest establishments in the world. Bilbo couldn’t quite believe that he had chosen to visit the Gaffer’s Garden after only being open for a single month. He’d received the letter one week ago and had promptly fainted in fright. Fili and Kili, Gaffer’s top dessert makers had propped him up in his armchair and Bilbo had told them the news. 

For the entire week the kitchen had been in uproar trying to decide what to make for the critic before Bilbo had suggested to allow Thorin to order from their usual menu and have done with it. If he’s coming here then I want him to experience us as we are. Not as a special guest. He would treat Thorin the way he treated all his customers and that was that.

Bofur tapped him on the shoulder. 

“It’s time to start chef.” He grinned. Bilbo sighed and hopped off of the table he was sitting on.

“Right then,” he said “let’s go make some food.”

Thorin Oakenshield loved food. He had been a food critic for nearly six years and he’d never been able to think of a downside to his job. Perhaps he now couldn’t order takeout without posting very detailed reviews online but he got to go out for dinners any evening he wanted and sample amazing dishes and then he got to go home and write about how amazing it was. He had wanted to become a chef himself but, after a year of culinary school with not much to show for it, Thorin had decided he was more suited to eat food than preparing it. He looked up at the sign above the door and smiled to himself. The Gaffer’s Garden stood on the corner of the busy street. It was a tall building with three floors and it was flooded with soft lamps that made the building seem like a night sky. Vines grew up the walls and looped over the sign: Gaffer’s Garden written in an elegant script. Thorin stepped off of the pavement, crossed the road and went inside. 

Inside was warm and welcoming, the walls were panelled wood and there was yet more plants scattered around giving off the air of eating in wondrous garden. He handed his coat to a nervous looking waiter and was escorted to a table in middle of the room. Thorin settled into his seat and watched the comings and goings from the steel kitchen doors. His waiter returned. A small man with a shock of ginger hair and freckles dotting his face. He handed Thorin a cream coloured menu and then dipped into the pocket of his apron and bought out a notepad.

“Good evening Sir.” He said, his voice shook slightly and Thorin recognised the look his face held all too well.

“First day?” He asked with a smile. The waiter nodded quickly and gave him a faint smile. “You’ll get used to it. What’s your name lad?” The waiter’s face relaxed slightly once he realised Thorin wasn’t going to bite his head off. 

“Ori.” Thorin picked up the menu, glancing at the wines before placing it back on the table.

“Well, Ori, I’ll have a glass of Cloudy bay New Zealand sauvignon Blanc and scallops and chorizo in parsnip puree if you please.” The young man nodded and picked up Thorin’s menu before disappearing through the kitchen door.

This is going well. Bilbo thought as he worked. The rest of the staff worked around him and Bilbo kept an eye on them as he worked on Thorin’s food. He preheated the oven to 180 C and proceeded to slice potatoes and arrange them in a shallow dish he seasoned and then turned his attention to the beef.

When everything was cooked he plated up, balancing the beef on the dauphinoise potatoes and drizzled the red wine sauce over the top with a flourish. He could feel his tongue poking out in concentration as he worked. Asparagus tips were scattered over the top. Bilbo nodded, pleased with his work and looked up at Ori.  
“How are you holding up lad?” He asked gently. Ori grinned at him in return and picked up a bottle of red wine.

“It’s great Mr Baggins, Mr Oakenshield is very nice and the other customers are too!” He nodded and quickly walked back through the steel doors and onto the restaurant floor. Bilbo smiled after him. 

“Service please!” he called. A tall blonde picked up his dish and carried it out. Bilbo followed the beef to the threshold of the kitchen before stopping, watching through the circle windows as Legolas set the plate down in front of a broad shouldered man with long flowing dark hair and stormy eyes. He watched as he picked up his knife and fork, cut a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. Bilbo realised he was biting his lip and let if free. As he watched the man raised his eyes to meet his through the windows. He felt himself blush as Thorin smiled and tipped his already half empty wine glass at him.   
“You alright there Bilbo?” Bofur asked stopping beside him. Bilbo flushed deeper and waved his hand in the air.

“Yes, yes don’t worry about me I’m perfectly fine Master Bofur.” He glanced one more time through the window at Thorin and retreated back to his work station. 

Thorin smiled and tipped his glass. The curly mop of brown curls and the beautiful creature that wore them blushed and turned away from the window. The famous Bilbo Baggins. Owner and head chef of The Gaffer’s Garden. Thorin had first seen his picture in the article announcing the restaurant’s opening over a month ago. He’d been snapped with his arm around the owner. In an interview the owner had said that Bilbo was his closest friend and had inspired half of the dishes on his menu. Thorin had always loved the way the young man looked in the photograph. A wide grin and blue eyes sparkling. He knew when he saw the picture that he had to taste this man’s food.  
Dessert was exquisite. Ori, his faithful waiter, bought out a spotless white plate and set it before him. Thorin’s face lit up when he saw it. Orange marmalade bread and butter pudding with crème fraiche. He picked up the spoon and took a small mouthful. It was sublime. Thorin had to grip the table to keep from falling off his seat at the intensity of the flavours that assaulted his tongue. He let out a quiet moan of pleasure. God this man had the looks of an angel and the cooking skills of a god. 

Bilbo was nervous. He pace outside the kitchen doors and almost jumped on Ori as he walked through them.

“Does he like it?” He asked. Ori shrugged and pointed. 

“He wants to see you.” Bilbo started to speak then closed his mouth, pulled himself up to his full height and walked through the door. The space between them felt endless and as he walked he found himself growing more and more worried. He stopped by the table and Thorin looked up at him with a smile. 

“Master Baggins?” He asked. Bilbo swallowed and nodded. 

“Yes, I’m Bilbo. Did you enjoy your dinner Mister Oakenshield?” Thorin gestured for him to sit and Bilbo complied. The restaurant was quieter between dinner rushes and a glance back to the kitchen told him that Bofur could handle things for the next few minutes. Thorin folded his arms on the table and rested his chin onto top of his hands.   
“Simply put Mister Baggins. Your food is exquisite, the meat was cooked to perfection, and the sauce was full of flavour. I could feel the effort you put into these dishes and the dessert. Those ingredients practically sang with flavour!” Thorin lent forward “I have to admit I have a very sweet tooth and you satisfied it with every mouthful of that gorgeous pudding.” Bilbo felt himself swell with pride.

“Thank you so much, we put a lot of work into our dishes and Fili and Kili will be delighted to know you liked their oranges so much.” Thorin laughed and Bilbo smiled. “I imagine that you get to taste lot of amazing food in your line of work.” Thorin sipped his wine, glad that conversation seemed to have flowed to a slightly more personal topic. 

“Yes, I’ve travelled all over the world. I’ve eaten the best food the world has to offer…. I don’t half crave a good old fashioned burger now and then though.” Bilbo grinned.

“I can imagine.” He got to his feet. “Is there anything else I can get you Mr Oakenshield?” Thorin stood also and pulled on his coat.

“Thorin, please and no. I’ve wanted to come here since reading about the opening in the paper. I’ll have to come back some time.” Bilbo smiled and the two shook hands.  
“Please do we’ll look forward to seeing you” Bilbo thought he felt Thorin squeeze his hand for the smallest of moments before parting. Bilbo walked him to the door and Thorin waved as he waved around the corner.

One Month Later   
Thorin sat at his desk and tapped his fingers rhythmically on either side of his laptop. A glass of wine at his side and he gulped it back and resting his elbow back on the table and sighing. Bilbo was sat beside him, reading what was on the screen with an expression he couldn't read.

“Everything ok love?” He asked. Bilbo poured held out his glass, not taking his eyes off of the computer screen. Thorin poured some more wine into it and wrapped his arms wound around his neck. 

“You can’t write that it’s so mean!” Thorin shrugged.

“I don’t have a kind word to say about this place. The staff were obnoxious, the food was so under cooked it was raw and none of the wine matched anything.” Bilbo scoffed. “If they can’t be decent enough to actually cook their food then you shouldn't back them up.” Bilbo’s eyes widened.

“No!” he rushed “I need to find something nice to say.” Thorin ran a hand through his light brown curls. 

“You are too kind my love.” He mused with a smile. Bilbo got up. “I’ll join you for dinner so Bilbo, I’m going to be a little longer.” Bilbo ran a hand through Thorin’s hair and he hummed at the feeling. 

“Hurry up love. I’ve made scallops your favourite.” Thorin grinned at him and turned back to his laptop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voila! I know it's been a little long since the last update but I fell into a writers funk where everything I wrote sounded crap to me... I have the very lovely My_Trex_Has_Fleas to help psych me up and for that I'm really thankful to her xD


	8. I'll come back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ross is being dropped off home at the end of the war. The two spend their final moments together and say goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really proud of this one. Thank you as ever to the lovely My_Trex_Has_Fleas for not only beta-ring but also for the ideas on how Jim and Ross interact. this is my small tribute to her wonderful fic: The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Please please go check it out as it's the only DawkHawk fic I'm aware of and you would be amazed at the time and effort she puts into such an amazing story xx
> 
> There are a few differences between the two though so no spoilers or anything like that xD
> 
> Dedicated to you T, I hope I did your boys justice

Ross is being dropped off home at the end of the war. The two spend their final moments together and say goodbye.

Ross had known this day would come. It was funny, when he’d first set foot aboard the Ariadne, ready to fulfil a pledge of servitude, Ross had been counting down the days until he could return to his once glittering Cornwall shores. Now everything was different and he counted down the days for a different reason. He stood on the deck of the Ariadne, gazing out at the horizon and pleading silently for tomorrow to never come. He’d been on and off of the ship for almost two years and, for all the sailing and endless cycle of watches, meals and sleep, Ross had found many ways to keep himself occupied. He smiled at the thought and felt someone stop next to him. He turned and took in the profile of his main source of distraction. Long blonde hair, longer than it had been when he’d first set eyes on the man, tied back in a simple black ribbon. Ross let his eyes linger on the features he now knew as well as his own. Strong jaw line, soft full lips and intense blue eyes that met his with a raised eyebrow.

“Ross?” he asked, his voice teasing and soft. “Are you all right?” Ross smiled in return and returned his gaze to the sea. He felt Jim’s reassuring presence beside him and the two stood in silence for a few minutes, watching the sun as it sank beneath the waves. 

“I think the midshipmen are looking for you.” Jim said, leaning back onto the railing beside him and sending Ross a side glance that made Ross’ heart swell. As if to prove his point, Bradley, one of the midshipmen skidded to a stop beside them, small chest heaving. Ross and Jim exchanged a grin and Ross placed a hand on the boys shoulder.

“Easy lad, take a breath.” Bradley gulped in air and started talking incessantly, his voice a little hoarse from breathlessness. Five other boys all approached from different areas of the ship and soon, all the midshipmen were gathered around them. They bounced around constantly and Ross had a hard time focusing on Bradley.

“Lieutenant Poldark, the captain wishes to hold a special dinner tonight to send you off! The whole crew is to take the evening off!” Jim ruffled the boy’s hair and Ross grinned at the boy fondly.

“Well, that is exciting. I hardly know what to say. Thank you for telling me Bradley. Lads.” The midshipmen nodded and went scampering off towards the forecastle deck, a few of them even saluting Jim and Ross as they went. Jim shook his head and chuckled.

“Too much energy for their own good those boys.” Ross watched them go with a fond smile. 

“I admit I have grown fond of them.” He said, looking over at Jim and catching his eye. “I shall miss them.” Jim’s grin was replaced by a sad smile and he squeezed Ross’s shoulder gently. 

“I know Ross, I’m sure they’ll miss you too.” He said quietly. “As will I.” Ross’s hands clenched as he gripped the railings, Jim’s hand rested next to his and Jim brushed his fingers against Ross’s. Ross gripped the hand, gently brushing his thumb over the knuckles absentmindedly. 

“Let’s not speak of parting just yet?” He murmured. Jim removed his hand and turned back to the cabin. 

“As you wish, Ross, I have duties to perform below, I’ll see you at dinner.” Ross smiled and watched Jim walk below deck. 

At dinner, Captain Jensen stood and raised his glass, his face smiling and jovial. 

“Tonight we celebrate the parting of friends! Two years ago the enlisted soldiers from the 62nd Foot joined our crew as though we may have lost many of the fine men we embarked from the Cornish isles with. These few men have lived and worked alongside us and tomorrow, they return to their shores as heroes of war.” He gestured to Ross who was sat beside him and to the other members of the 62nd Foot who were dotted around the dining area, and they raised their glasses in response. Ross followed suit. Jensen held his respect. He was a kind man with a great sense of justice and a witty sense of humour that had done Ross a world of good over the past two years. “Tonight, we eat and drink and celebrate our new friends. May life favour you as you move on from this. I wish you all the luck in the world.” The crew reciprocated the toast and the night quickly eroded into drinking and gambling. 

Ross was a hopeless gambler. Even after Jim had invested a substantial amount of time into teaching him, Ross’ poker face was till something to laugh at. After yet another bad hand he shook his head and grinned at David and Young who were sat across the table from him. 

“Gentlemen, I’m afraid I must excuse myself before I lay waste to my pride in its entirety.” Young scoffed and David’s grinned cheekily before taking Ross’s lost money and tipping his head.

“It’s been a pleasure robbing you blind Lieutenant.” He quipped. Ross laughed and waved to them over his shoulder. He approached a table and sat down next to Captain Jensen. 

“Ah Ross!” He said brightly. There was a slight flush to his cheeks. He was not drunk by naval standards by any means but he was slightly drunk. Ross could feel a slight buzzing in his senses and he smiled contentedly. “I wanted to say that, personally, I am proud to have had you and your men as members of my crew for the past two years.” He gripped Ross’s arm, to keep himself upright or to convey his feelings better, Ross did not know, though he smiled at the captain’s words nonetheless. 

Jim found him just as the Dawkins was explaining to Ross and the captain how he’d met and married his wife on the same day for the third time in the last ten minutes. Jim tugged Ross’s sleeve and gestured his head towards the door, a sly smile on his face. 

“Gentlemen,” Ross began, jumping up quickly “, I’m afraid I must bid you both a good evening.” He bowed his head and allowed Jim to pull him out of the room and up onto the deck. They made their way down to their shared room and Jim closed the door behind them. 

“Thank you for the rescue.” Ross mused. Jim’s hands wrapped around his waist and Ross sighed contentedly. 

“No worries, you looked as if you were contemplating throwing yourself overboard.” Jim teased. Ross grasped his arms and leant his head on Jim’s shoulder.  
“Oh I’ve missed being in your arms.” Jim held him tighter.

“As I have missed having you there my dear.” Ross turned his head and their mouths met in a gentle kiss that grew more heated as Ross turned in Jim’s arms and grasped his blonde hair, pulling it free from its ribbon. Jim’s arms played at the edge of Ross’s shirt making his breath come in short gasps between kisses. He tilted their heads at an angle and their kiss deepened. Ross parted his lips and Jim’s tongue traced his teeth. They parted for air and lay their foreheads together. 

“Jim.” He whispered, his voice raspy. “I cannot bear the thought of leaving you.” Jim’s expression hardened. He pulled away and began to undress. Ross felt tears welling up and fought to control them.

“We both knew this day would come Ross.” Jim said, an indifferent edge to his voice as he unlaced his shirt and pulled it off. “You are to return to your Elizabeth and I to the sea. It is where we both belong.” There was an edge to voice at the mention of Ross’s betrothed. Ross felt anger replacing his sadness and he spun Jim round to face him, grasping his upper arms in a grip that made the sailor wince slightly. 

“How can you say that to me?” He raged, anger in his eyes. His hands shook. “How can you say ‘My Elizabeth’ Do I mean so little to you that you think I would simply return to my life as it was when I left?” He asked, struggling to keep his voice down. He could hear other members of the crew returning to their respective rooms. “You think that I can so easily reclaim my old life as if nothing had happened, as if you never happened?” Jim didn’t meet his eyes and Ross slackened his grip. “There is no one else I would rather be with.” He said quietly. “If you find it easy to return to what you were before all of this, then perhaps you meant more to me than I to you.” He said quietly. 

Ross turned away from Jim and began to undress himself. He removed his waist coat, shirt and boots and was reaching for the laces on his breeches when Jim’s unsteady hands covered his.  
“You do not think that this is difficult for me as well as you?” He murmured into his ear. Ross felt Jim’s body press up against his back and he straightened. “I cannot bear the thought of you leaving Ross.” Jim continued. “I have lain awake at night looking down at you and despairing for lack of a better solution than you leaving the Ariadne and returning to a woman on land that you will marry and father children with. It makes me sick with anger and jealousy and despair.” Ross let the tears fall silently down his face as he listened. Jim was trembling and his hands found purchase on Ross’s hips. His voice was nothing more than a horse whisper. “I have not loved as deeply or intensely as I have loved you Ross. I tried to remember that this was only for a short time but I couldn't. You drew me in and you kept me close. So close I felt like I was drowning but it was the best feeling on this Earth.” Ross turned and saw that Jim was crying. In all of the time that Ross had spent with the sailor he had never seen tears come to those beautiful eyes. It broke his heart. He reached up to wipe them away with his hand and they stood looking at each other for the longest moment before he felt he couldn't contain it anymore.

“I love you Jim.” He whispered. Jim sobbed once and smiled shakily at him. 

“And I you.” He replied wiping his eyes. “We’re like a couple of weeping maidens.” Ross laughed through his tears and the two collapsed onto the bed. 

Jim held him close that night and Ross concentrated, trying to commit every sensation of being in his arms to memory. 

Morning came too soon, as did the call for land. Ross stood on the deck and watched as the Cornwall dock slowly came into view. Jim was by his side and the two stood shoulder to shoulder as they gazed at the approaching land mass. 

The boat reached the dock and the members of the 62nd foot gathered their packs and made their way to shore. Waving back at the Ariadne as they went. Ross stood on the gang plank and looked around him. A swarm of memories flooded back to him: his mother and father, telling him to be careful on the journey, his cousin hugging him, wishing him a safe return and Elizabeth. Standing at the end of the dock, tears streaming down her pale face as she waved the ship out of the harbour. It felt surreal for him to be standing there again. No one stood to greet him at the docks and for that, he was grateful. For he was far from the expected joy at being home. He looked back onto the deck of the Ariadne and saw Jim watching him. He walked back and stood before him. 

“Goodbye Ross.” Jim said with a smile. He held out his hand and Ross shook it, squeezing it affectionately.

“Goodbye Jim.” He replied quietly. They stood there for a moment, two years’ worth of emotion flitting across their faces and then Ross picked up his bag and turned, walking down the gang plank and stepping onto Cornish soil. He watched the ship pull out of the harbour and turn out to sea. Jim moved to stand at the very edge, looking back at him. He cupped his hands over his mouth. 

“We’ll return here!” he shouted "I'll come back!" Ross couldn’t help but grin at the smirk playing across Jim’s face.

“I’ll hold you to that Lieutenant!” He shouted back and heard laughter in response. Then the wind picked up and the laugh was snatched away. Ross watched the sails of the Ariadne disappear over the horizon then he shoulder his bag, gave one last look at the vast blue ocean before him and turned, heading home.


	9. Prison Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> China Sorrows is imprisoned for murder. As she's walked from the building a guard taps her shoulder and tells her to duck when he says so...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I know it's been a while, I have been a little distracted with exams and what not. Not to mention the new collaboration fic that myself and My_Treax_Has_Fleas have started writing! 
> 
> Anyway, her we go, some Skulduggery/China friends and flirts for you to enjoy xD

China Sorrows was positively livid, though her face held an expression of cold indifference to both the prisoners beside her and the guards that bought her food twice a day. She sat, poised and perfect as ever against the far wall of her cell, hands shackled behind her back. It was a rare occurrence that prisoners were kept in shackles once they were inside their cells. They must be afraid of her. That thought made China’s mouth quirk up in a small smile. 

“What you smiling at girlie?” came a reedy voice from the cell beside her. China looked over but didn’t respond. The man that sat there was short and sat hunched over. His hair was long and matted and there was a hopelessness in his eyes that told her he’d been in here for a long time indeed. “You ain’t never gettin’ outta here love.” He continued, shuffling on dirty hands and knees to get closer to her. China moved backwards, not trying to disguise her disgust at the filthy hopeless creature beside her. “I know, I’ve tried. Been ‘ere thirty years I have, not even a dent in my sentence though.” He gave a crazed little laugh.

“Oh do be quiet.” China snapped. She continued shifting away from him, albeit slowly due to her restrained hands. She would escape, she just needed to get her surroundings first, take note of guard patrols and work out a way of getting these damned cuffs off. The man to her left began reaching for her through the bars.

“I love you.” he said and China rolled her eyes. 

“Yes yes of course you do dear.” she said dismissively. He grabbed her ankle and China kicked him very hard in the nose. He fell away from her and back into her cell. 

The door to her cell opened an hour later and China looked up into the smiling face of Oscae, a wide featured woman with a thick African accent.

“Miss Sorrows.” She sneered. “It’s time for you to be moved.” There were three guards stood behind her, hoods of their work uniforms pulled low over their faces. Oscae pulled China out of the cell by her shirt front. China frowned at the wrinkles left in the material. She was pushed ahead of one guard and the other stood in front of her. Oscae lead the way, the other prisoners grumbled and growled as she was escorted out. They left the jail and Oscae turned them left down a long corridor. China frowned. 

“Where are we going? The entrance to the sanctuary is the other way.” Oscae scowled over her shoulder.

“I know that Miss Sorrows but we are going for a more indirect route. Don’t you want to show off those pretty shackles of yours?” China bristled but didn’t let the anger show. They were humiliating her. Parading her around the sanctuary. To tell everyone that they had captured the famous China Sorrows and that she was submissive to their power. She walked behind them, head held high and chin tilted. They were trying to humiliate her but China wouldn’t bow so easily. Oscae stopped as a young man with spiky blonde hair approached them.

“Detective, I’m afraid the Elders need to see you right now. It’s urgent they said.” Oscae scowled and turned to the guards.

“Walk her around the block then meet me by the van outside.” She turned to China. “So sorry about this Miss Sorrows, I feel so rude to leave you but duty calls I’m afraid.” China gave her a glittering smile. 

“I understand Oscae, can’t keep your masters waiting.” Oscae scowled at her and followed the boy down the corridor. 

They walked for a few minutes. They passed the repository and the Elder’s meeting room and members of the sanctuary watched them as they passed and started whispering. Finally, they headed back towards the main entrance. China could see the van parked outside of the glass double doors. The corridor was empty and China relaxed slightly. The guard behind China coughed and China turned her head.

“When I say so, duck.” He said. She frowned for a moment before her eyes widened. She knew that voice.

“Skulduggery?” She murmured, surprise edging her tone “I didn’t expect to see you here.” 

“Surprise.” Skulduggery whispered back. Then “Now!” China ducked and the man swung a fist into the man in front of her. The man staggered and cried out before whirling, a murderous look in his eyes. He charged and Skulduggery took stance, coming in with elbows and knees, all of his movements whirring into one motion as he moved. China watched the other guard stop, turn and stalk towards them. She quickly gathered her chains in her hands and swung them around her, keeping him away from them. He ducked and dived to avoid them but China was quick and the end of the chain smashed into his jaw. He bellowed in pain and she hit him again, winding the chain around his ankle and yanking him painfully backwards towards her. She grasped him by the shirt and hauled up to her eye level.

“Now, if you wouldn’t mind.” She said quietly. “The keys, if you would” The man spat at her and her polite smile dropped. She held him close for a moment and drew him away from her. Then she smashed her forehead into his nose and dropped him, blood dripping from his face. She searched him for keys and found them in the back pocket of his uniform trousers, she struggled to get them into the lock of her shackles but after a moment, they clattered to the ground. She stood and rubbed her wrists, trying to get the feeling back into her hands. She turned just as the guard behind her launched a punch to her jaw. The world span around her and she staggered backwards, hands to her face. She was bleeding. Skulduggery came up behind the guard and wrapped an arm around his throat. He looked at China.

“If you wouldn’t mind?” She smiled coldly.

“My pleasure.” She tapped her right forearm. Once. Twice and a wave of blue energy struck the man in the chest, burning through his uniform in an instant and singing flesh. The man’s screams were muffled by Skulduggery’s hands and China gazed into his eyes as he writhed in pain. Skulduggery dropped his limp body to the floor and the two were left looking at each other.  
“China.” He said after a moment. “Always a pleasure.” China raised an eyebrow.

“You were the last person I would have expected to spring me from gaol I must admit Skulduggery. I would have thought that you’d love to see me here. Where I no doubt belong.” Skulduggery pulled off the guard’s uniform and straightened out the white shirt that lay beneath. He dusted it off and turned his head towards her. Pale blue met empty eye sockets and Skulduggery placed a hand on her shoulder.

“The past is the past. I am many things but I am not a hypocrite. I too did many things during the war that I regret China, you know that.” He walked back along the corridor until they got to a guard station. Skulduggery looked left then right and, judging there to be no one around, he stepped in and opened the desk draw. He pulled out a trilby hat and flicked a piece of lint from the brim before setting it atop his skull. “And anyway,” He mused, once again joining her in the hallway. “It was only Craven and no one liked him so I can’t imagine why you were arrested for murder.” China laughed. 

They made their way to the exit, careful to avoid any more run ins with the guards. They reached the front entrance just as Oscae walked through a door on their left. They stopped. She stopped, her face frozen in shock.

“How did you escape?” She said. Skulduggery shrugged.

“Detective Oscae, your bouncer really needs to get his eyes checked. I’m a living skeleton for god’s sake and he let me right through.” Oscae’s eyes narrowed. Skulduggery turned as the door opened and the bouncer walked through a sinister look in his eye.

“Oh.” He turned to China. “Was it something I said?” China rolled her eyes. 

“Ah.” China sighed and launched herself at the man, he feinted a kick for her legs before slapping it up high but China caught on and batted the leg away. She retaliated with a kick of her own that met its mark on the man’s thigh. She swung a punch that missed and tried a throw that didn’t work then the man grabbed her and threw her into the wall, her head bouncing off of it. She felt a hand on her ankle and furiously kicked out with her other leg, catching him in the jaw. He went down and she jumped to her feet. She raised her hands and tapped matching symbols on the palms. The man’s face scrunched up in confusion as he tried to take a breath and faltered. He clawed at his throat and made horrible gasping sounds as he continued to struggle in drawing breath.

“I’m sorry, I really am. You’re just doing your job after all,” she said to him “, but I don’t suit prison orange, it clashes with my eyes.” The man lost consciousness and she lowered her arms and looked back to Skulduggery. He had Oscae in an arm lock. His hat was discarded on the ground and Oscae’s face was twisted into a snarl as she tried to break free. China searched the bouncer, pulling out a pair of shackles from his belt and waved them in the air. Skulduggery nodded and wrenched Oscae’s arms behind her back. China snapped the shackles in place with a click and Oscae grunted in pain. They took the other shackle and cuffed her to a door. Skulduggery took her keys and the two staggered out of the building and into the afternoon air. The Bentley was parked on the other side of the street and Valkyrie honked the horn and stuck her head out of the window. 

“China, good to see you!” Skulduggery pulled open the back door and China slid in. 

“Thank you my dear. That was a wonderful rescue indeed Skulduggery.” Valkyrie slid across into the passenger seat and Skulduggery got in behind the wheel. He looked at her and China felt him smile.

“No problem. After all what are friends for?” China smiled and leant back in the seat, taking one last look at the sanctuary as the Bentley pulled away from the pavement and turned the corner.


	10. Picture-Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kili works the night shift in a 24 hour photography shop called 'Picture-Perfect' He is tasked with developing some pictures left behind by a customer.As he works he can't take his eye off of a certain blonde whose face keeps reoccurring....

Kili pushed open the glass panelled door with a yawn and glanced at the clock on the wall behind the counter. Good he was on time. He dropped his rucksack on the floor and pushed it under the desk with his foot before slumping back in the spinning chair and logging onto the computer monitor.

“Kili, is that you?” a voice drifted from the back of the shop and Kili poked his head round the corner in time to see Bifur, the owner of Picture-perfect, 24 hour photography shop, come striding towards him. The older man had long dark hair tied neatly back over one shoulder. 

“Hey boss.” Kili waved. Bifur clutched his chest in fake astonishment. 

“But, you’re here! You always arrive late this cannot be happening are you quite well?” He grinned at Kili’s glare. 

“Oh hush. My shift at The Gaffer’s ended earlier today.” Bifur’s smile softened. He’d always admired Kili’s work ethic. Even if he did complain an alarming amount. Kili had a suspicion that it had more to do with the fact that Bombur, owner of the Gaffer’s, always sent him with some of their best pastries.

“What is it today?” Kili grinned and pulled his bag up onto the desk. He pulled a carefully wrapped package out of the front compartment and presented in front of the older man.

“Cinnamon swirls I think… and some profiteroles.” Bifur’s eyes lit up and he took the bag, smelling the contents deeply and placing them safely into his own bag. Kili laughed at his expression. “You ok old man?” Bifur scowled but his grin returned easily.

“Watch it with the old young man. I’m still your employer not matter how many times to bribe me with desserts.” He thumped Kili gently on the head. Bifur was a very easy person for Kili to get along with and he often forgot that the elder man was actually his boss. Kili gave him a grin and a half shrug.

“Will you be alright here until seven then?” Bifur asked, pulling on his coat and wrapping a scarf around his neck. Kili shrugged off his own trench coat and let it rest on the back of the chair. 

“Of course. Why, where’s Aragon?” The other overnight worker usually arrived before Kili did but he couldn't hear him in the dark room behind the counter. 

“He called in a little before you got here.” Bifur said. “He’s got a long standing family thing going on tonight. I said we’d be able to manage alone but I...er…”

“You've got a date haven’t you?” Kili asked smugly.

“No I have not what lead you to that assumption?” Kili crossed his arms and leant forward in the chair. 

“You’re wearing a shirt without pastry stains on it and…” he sniffed the air and raised an eyebrow. “Is that cologne you’re wearing?” He laughed at his boss whose face was turning bright red.

“It’s Armani…” he mumbled. Kili laughed and stood up. 

“Well you look wonderful. I wish you luck Bifur, you need someone to cheer you up a bit. Let’s hope she can bake!” he winked and Bifur shook his head before nodding to an envelope on the desk an unknown object making in bulge.

“A man came in about an hour ago with some film. He said not to worry about any blurs and that he’d like them all developed. He’ll be back sometime around six.” Kili nodded and they said their goodnights. Kili watched Bifur leave the store and walk down the street. He settled in behind the counter and prepared for a long night.

The first two hours were fairly quiet, as the night shifts usually were. A young man with wild curly hair had come in, looking to buy a new camera. As he waved the man out, a tall red headed woman came in and walked up to the counter.

“Hi, my name is Tauriel. I Left some film to be developed earlier today and Bifur asked me to come back this evening to collect the prints.” She tucked a long strand of ginger hair behind on ear and smiled shyly at him. Kili smiled back politely. 

“Give me one second.” He walked through the door at the back of the shop and into the store room. Sure enough, a box of photos labelled: Tauriel Greenleaf was lying on one of the shelves lining the walls. He bought it back out into the shop and handed them to her. “Here you are. That’ll be £15.00 please.” She dug out a purse from her bag and headed over a fistful of notes.

“Late night huh?” She asked conversationally. Kili opened the till and got her change. 

“You have no idea. I don’t get off until six.” Tauriel whistled. 

“That’s rough.” Kili shrugged. 

“Not really. I don’t mind. I get to sit around in a warm shop that has a kitchen and a great stereo. No one comes in around this time usually so I’ll probably end up dancing like a loon by myself.” She laughed and Kili grinned. “Here.” He handed her the change and she put it away and picked up her photos.

“Thanks, have a good night Kili.” He waved as she left the shop. 

“You too Tauriel.”

He started on the photos at around midnight. He left the door to the main body of the shop open and walked through into the dark room in the back.

Picture-perfect was just at the end of a busy high street. Bifur had bought the place years ago when it had been a small library and he’d renovated the building. Adding a small kitchen, two store rooms and a dark room for developing pictures and film. Kili flicked on the red light and walking over to one of the workbenches on the far side of the room, bring the envelope with him. He pulled an extension cord out of one of the drawers and bought the stereo through form the main shop and plugged it in. Kili tied back his hair in a braid over one shoulder and started gathering the materials from various shelves and cupboards around the room. Humming as he went and swaying his hips in time with the music. He reached into the envelope, retrieving the roll of film. He popped out the bottom and took out the reel. He took out the negatives and wiped down both sides of it with alcohol, waving them back and forth to the music so that they dried faster. He then fitted it into the carrier and adjusted the lens so that the photos looked clear and neat. He grabbed his drink from the shelf above him and, after using it as an improvised microphone to ‘Just a day’ by Feeder, he took a swig.  
He heard the front door open with a ding of a bell and stuck his head around the door. “Bombur!” The red headed owner of Gaffer’s waved as he closed the door behind him. He held out a brown paper bag in one hand and waved it at Kili enticingly. 

“Good evening my dear Durinson.” He grinned. Kili wiped his hands on his jeans and walked out to meet him.

“Bombur you didn’t!” Bombur held up his hands in a ‘oh yes I did, worship me for I am god’ look and placed the bag down on the desk with a flourish. 

“I did. Cinnamon swirls are the favourite of your dear boss but I knew you'd want some chocolate éclairs. I even stopped and got you some liquorice too.” Kili fell upon the bag with a whoop of joy and sat on the desk as he ate, merrily swinging his legs like a child with a cookie. 

“These are wonderful Bombur!” he moaned, licking his fingers to get rid of the excess cream oozing out from the pastry case. “Business as good as usual?” Bombur puffed out his chest, his moustache twitching as he grinned. 

“Of course.” Kili laughed. They talked for a while before Bombur said he had to leave and after making him promise to save some of them for late, he left Kili with a nod of his head and a wave. 

Kili ate one more éclair and left the rest in the bag and headed back to the photos. He tested the negatives to find the right amount of time to leave them for. It took a while but Kili kept going. The routine of the activity relaxing him, he turned up the stereo and hummed whilst he worked. He held up the different shot to the light. Marvelling at the picturesque shots of landscapes. There was landscape shot of the Grand Cannon and another of Big Ben and the London Eye. He set up the easel, set the timer and started exposing the pictures, rinsing them of the chemicals used in the carrier and the tray before hanging them from the string strung across the shelves above him.

When he finally looked up it was four in the morning. There were about three hundred pictures in all. They were hung from every shelf in the room, surrounding Kili as he circled to look at them. The pictures were beautiful. Kili couldn’t even find the words to describe them. Pictures of landscapes from faraway lands, they’re bright colours nearly leaping off the paper at him and of art works and sculptures from long forgotten trips to museums. These pieces were viewed by the photographer were deemed so important that they were carefully captured onto film in fear of being forgotten. Kili wheeled the desk chair into the room and sat in the middle of it, spinning every few seconds to study another photo at another angle. There was such depth and emotion in all of the images. Like each one was a cherished moment, trapped in the eternity of a camera lens. It made Kili feel breathless. He paused as a flash of gold caught his eye. It was a portrait picture of a blonde man with long hair and bright blue eyes. He was gazing at the camera, a sly smirk on his face. Kili saw that there were many more images of the same man. On his own then with what he can only assume is friends and family. Each time the man is looking at the camera with those clear blue eyes and that sly half smirk. His eyes followed Kili as he looked around the room. There was one of him standing shirtless in a doorway, a towel draped over his shoulder. He had been caught towelling his hair and one eye was closed. It was a very intimate looking picture and Kili found himself blushing as he looked at it. There were a few like that. The blonde caught gazing off out of a window. Looking into the lens as he sat across from the photographer in a restaurant, looking off into the distance with a calm and happy expression on his face. Kili drank them all in, this man’s life was here on the wall of the dark room. He found himself wondering what he was like, if he was still as happy as he looked in those photos and if he was still as close with the photographer as he seemed to be when they were taken. 

Five in the morning and a tired looking customer pushed open the shop door. He was tall with long blonde hair and icy blue eyes. He walked up to the counter and Kili looked away from the monitor and at him with a tired smile on his face.

“Hi, how can I help you?” The man opened his bag and placed a Sony A6000 E-Mount camera on the desk. The lens was completely ruined, as were many of the buttons on the cameras side.

“I saw that you do repairs? I was on my way home from a party and some idiot bumped into me.” Kili picked up the camera carefully, turning it over in his hands. 

“Looks like the concrete really done a number on it.” He put it back down and typed the make into the monitor. “We’re not gonna have the replacement parts for this model until next week… do you want us to hold it for you until then?” The man bit his lip and then nodded.

“That would be good yeah. Shall I pay you now or…?” Kili picked up the camera again and shook his head. 

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll keep it here for you and give you a call when the parts arrive.” He took the camera into the store room and placed it carefully onto the top shelf. Bifur would have to handle that one. Printing pictures he could do but fixing a camera costing over £500 was a bit outside Kili’s area of expertise. 

He returned to the customer to find him angrily talking into his mobile phone.

“No Gimli, the camera is most definitely ‘royally fucked’ as you so eloquently put it! I’m so angry right now! What? No pastries from Gaffer’s is not going to solve the whole problem! Urgh, I’ll talk to you later!” He hung up and turned to Kili. 

“Gaffer’s pastries huh?” The blonde sighed and lent against the counter. 

“They are amazing. It was my boyfriend that bumped into me. He’s a hopeless drunk he really is.” Kili smiled and wrote out a receipt. 

“Could you sign here please?” He handed the pen to the man who bent to write his name in an elegant script. Legolas Greenleaf. “Oh, we had a Tauriel Greenleaf in here earlier.” Kili commented when the both pen and receipt were handed back to him.

“That’s my cousin, she just got back from a gap year so she was getting her camera emptied.” Legolas took the copy Kili handed him.

“Nice, never found time for a gap year myself. I always figured I’d travel later on, with someone you know.” Legolas smiled at him.

“That’s really sweet.” Kili shrugged.

“I’m a romantic at heart Legolas. Oh!” He open the drawer and took out the brown paper bag. He held it out to Legolas. “Chocolate éclair? Their Gaffers.” Legolas took one great fully and ate it in dainty bites, groaning at each one. 

“These are exquisite.” He said through a mouthful. 

“That they are.” Kili grinned back. “I’ll see you next week Legolas, just present that to whoever’s sitting here and they’ll give it to you.” Legolas thanked him and left the store.

Kili sat at the desk for a long while before he remembered that he should probably start preparing the photographs to be picked up. It was already starting to get light outside. He turned the radio up to full volume and started un-pinning each shot, fanning it gently to check if it was dry and stacking them into envelops. He studied each one as he put them away, paying close attention to every photo of the gorgeous blonde. He sang to himself as he worked. 

He had no idea how long he’d been working when Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede started playing over the speakers. Kili smiled and raised his hands above his head as he sang. He discarded the last few photos and started rocking to the beat, swaying his hips and shaking his head. Performing to an imaginary crowd in his mind. By the end of the song he was out of breath and felt quite stupid. Then he heard clapping and turned towards the door. His cheeks flushed bright red. A man was standing in front of the desk watching him, a wide smile on his face and barley concealing his laughter. His eyes shone in the artificial light and they looked at Kili was so much familiarity that it made his chest clench. It was him. The man from the photographs was standing by the counter, Canon EOS 100D slung around his neck. He was quite short and his hair was long and tied in a messy pony tail over one shoulder, the sleeves of is shirt were rolled up to his elbow, revealing tan arms and wrists that were adorned with woven bands and bracelets. He starred at Kili and his blush deepened. 

“How much of that did you see?” He asked. The man shrugged and grinned at him.

“Long enough to know that you are a terrible singer.” Kili chuckled nervously.

“Well that’s nice.” He said, mock offense colouring his tone. The blonde laughed.

“I didn’t mean that bad. It was quite endearing actually and your dancing more than made up for it.” He winked at him and Kili smiled shyly and bowed.

“I try.” The blonde laughed again. God how Kili loved that sound. “I take it you’re here for your photos?” He nodded and Kili retrieved the envelope and carried it through, pulling the door to the dark room closed behind him. “Here you are…Fili.” He read the underside of the envelope and handed them over. Their hands brushed as Fili took them from him. His hands were warm and callused. Kili fought a shudder. 

“Thanks.” Fili murmured. “How much do I owe you?” Kili punched some numbers into the computer and looked up. 

“£35.67” Fili took out a leather wallet and handed over the money. Kili smiled and rang up the till. “Right, you’re good to go.” He said. Fili smiled back.

“Thanks, I’ll see you around.” He gave Kili a wink and left the store. When the door closed behind him, Kili let himself slump forward, his forehead hitting the desk in front of him with a soft thump.

“Why am I such a weirdo!” he said out loud. 

“I wouldn't say weirdo, more eccentric than anything.” He looked up and saw Fili leaning against the open doorway. Kili blushed anew and hid his face. Fili took a few steps forward and lent against the desk. 

“Don’t do that Kili.” Kili moved his hands away and caught Fili’s blue gaze. 

“Did you forget something?” He asked politely. Fili took out the envelope.

“All the ones at the top are the ones of me. Nori liked to turn the camera on me to see how I liked it and I forgot those were even in here but they’re all stacked at the top of the pile.” Fili gave him that half grin and Kili stammered his response. 

“You took all those photographs?” Fili nodded. “They’re wonderful.” He said honestly. “Your boyfriend must be proud.” There was a flash of something in Fili’s eyes that made Kili’s breathing hitch.

“We broke up a while ago.” He said.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m never usually like this but that was my favourite song and the way you danced sealed the deal for me.” He grinned as Kili blushed yet again. Then he paused, as if considering what words to say next. “Screw it. You're really cute and an amazing dancer." He looked at Kili. "Do you want to get breakfast with me?” Kili didn't respond. He looked up at the clock. Six exactly.He bit his lip and nodded, pulling on his coat and following Fili out of the shop. They passed Bifur as they left who raised an eyebrow at them. Kili smiled at him and Bifur chuckled and gave him a thumbs up before pushing open the door and stepping inside the shop. They walked in silence, Kili couldn't make himself look up from his shoes. Fili reached out and took his hand as they started down the road and into town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Bifur and Bombur are related but shhhhhh bear with me :) x


	11. Come Over Here And Make Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No I am, in fact not dead... needless to say I am late.. with a lot of things actually but I am working through them and I plan a miraculous comeback in the next few weeks now that my last year of sixform is underway!
> 
> Kili turns up at Fili's doorstep and Fili immediately knows that his evening is truly interupted

Earlier that night Kili had turned up at his doorstep. Bedraggled from the rain and heavy lines of eye liner down his face. Fili had always thought that eyeliner looked amazing on Kili. It made him look mysterious and sexy and it bought out his eyes so that they seemed so intense. He was already tipsy, swaying on his feet and he lent against Fili’s door frame with a vacant expression on his face. 

Between the whining and the hiccupping Fili had barely caught the fact that Tauriel, Kili’s girlfriend of six months, had dumped him for some tall blonde poetry major at her uni. Fili had sighed.

“Hey man, its fine just give me a second.” Somewhat reluctantly he went into the kitchen and turned the heat on his pasta right down before pulling a bottle of wine out of the fridge and dragging his friend over to the sofa to lend an ear in a way that only a true best friend can tolerate. 

For about an hour he patted Kili’s back and aww and tutted and made comments like ‘oh what a bitch!’ when he needed to. When the pasta was done Fili sighed again because he hadn’t planned to have company tonight and there was not enough here for them to have a decent size each. He halved out the bolognaise, giving the bigger half to Kili, and they sat together in silence as they ate, Kili hiccupping into the bowl every few minutes as he tried to calm himself down. 

“Ok, you have to calm down dude, I mean haven’t you been having problems for a few months anyway?” Pasta forgotten, they were leaning against the opposite arm rests of the sofa, passing the wine bottle between them. Kili took a massive swig and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

“Well yeah. She was worried because I was spending so much time with you and Ori…”

“She wasn’t still caught up with the whole ‘I’m into guys’ thing was she?” Kili held a pillow to his chest and looked down. 

“Well, I am bisexual, she had reason to worry.” Fili threw his hands up.

“No she didn’t! She should have trusted you as a person not to cheat not expected you as a bisexual to do so! And none of that excuses her cheating on you with this Legolas dude.” He scooted closer to Kili and looked at him seriously. “If she couldn’t trust you around your friends then she is a bitch that does not deserve you Ki!” Kili looked like he was going to cry again so Fili backed off and drained the last of the bottle. He held it up and frowned. “We need more alcohol.” He muttered, standing up and pulling on his coat. “Come on.” He said, holding out a hand and pulling Kili up and after him. “We’re going out.” 

Three hours later and Kili was drunk. Boozed up, mullered, on a bender. He was so utterly drunk that Fili thought he might collapse any second. He followed him and he walked along the high street. Hands constantly outstretched ready to catch the brunette should his balance desert him. He could feel his own intoxication on the edge of his mind, making everything slightly fuzzy. As they trudged towards the taxi rink, Fili contemplated whether going to two different bars was in fact a good idea. Kili was tottering along with a goofy smile on his face which made Fili smile, at least he was feeling better. The red head had made him happy, no matter what her opinion of his sexuality was or how much said opinions annoyed him. 

Fili couldn’t help but feel a little relieved that she was gone. 

Fili and Tauriel had never really gotten on. She didn’t like how close he was to Kili and he didn’t like... well... her. They had nothing in common and so conversation had always been strained. They’d put their differences aside for Kili’s sake because he seemed so happy in the relationship. 

Zoned out as he was, he almost crashed into Kili when the brunette stopped suddenly. 

“Fili!” He slurred, elongating the blonde’s name into one long whine. 

“Yeessss.” Fili replied in the same tone. Kili pouted at him and Fili started looking for a taxi.

“How come you’re acting so casual? I drank the same amount as you!” Fili was still looking at the road and not at Kili when he answered. 

“I swapped out for water like an hour ago Ki, you were too gone to notice.” A cab signalled to pull over and Fili dropped his hands. 

“Why didn’t you stop me?” Kili asked. Fili sighed.

“Because I reckoned you needed it more than I did.” 

They climbed into the back of the cab and Kili leant right up against Fili as they drove. Fili allowed himself to enjoy it without feeling too guilty. He could smell the alcohol coming off of the man next to him and the apple shampoo he always used on his hair. 

He’d almost fallen asleep when the cab pulled up outside his apartment. He fumbled with the keys and dragged Kili over to the sofa again. Pushing him down and disappearing into the bedroom to get an extra blanket. When he returned Kili was lying face down with his head buried in a pillow, groaning.

“You ok?” He asked. There was a louder groan which Fili took as a yes and draped the blanket over Kili’s prone form. He rolled over and held out his arms.

“Come here.” He demanded, not unlike a child. Fili sat down beside him and Kili hugged him close, burying his face in Fili’s shoulder. “I don’t feel good.” He whined. Fili chuckled and ran a hand through Kili’s hair. 

“I don’t imagine you would, the amount of shots you did at that last bar.” Kili groaned and stretched out, pushing up against him and looking up at him from under his eyelashes. Fili felt his body tighten and he loosened his grip on the brunette and looked away.

He is so drunk. You cannot do this. Ignore the fact that he’s single now he is also REALLY really drunk so calm the fuck down Fi. 

Kili fell asleep a few minutes later and Fili carried on drinking. When Kili stirred Fili looked won at him. 

“Hey.” Kili stretched and smiled lazily up at him. “You feeling any better?” 

“Hey. I think so, I slept most of it off.” He replied and kissed him, dragging Fili down to reach his mouth. Fili froze and hurriedly pulled away, standing up and all but running to the other side of the room. 

“Kili, what are you doing?” He asked after a moment. Kili was leaning up on his elbows, a confused and slightly surprised look on his face. 

“I was kissing you?” He asked quietly. Fili made a strangled noise in his throat and clutched the countertop in his hands. “I thought that you’d want that and that you’d enjoy that…” He trailed off. Fili didn’t know what to say. How could he tell if this was Kili speaking or if this was drunk Kili messing around. 

“But... Tauriel? You’re drunk Kili you don’t mean that and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mess with me like this.” Kili looked like he was about to cry again.

“That’s the thing.” He said, pulling his legs up to his chest and resting his chin on his knees. “You said earlier that Tauriel had nothing to worry about with me spending so much time with you but you were wrong… she should have been worried. “Fili felt his legs go weak, he griped the counter and starred back at him.

“What do you mean?” he rasped out. 

“I mean I’ve had a crush on you since I was nineteen Fi. I loved Tauriel, I know I did but you’ve always been there, no matter who else was in the picture. I like you.” Fili was shocked and shook his head. There is no way in hell that this is real. He’s drunk and you’re drunk and you just need to go to bed.

“I don’t believe you.” He said and Kili stood up slowly, all traces of drunkenness gone from his features. 

“What do I have to do to convince you?” he said steely. Fili cleared his throat.

“Come over here and make me.” Kili started walking towards him, maintaining eye contact until they were right in front of each other. He pressed Fili back into the counter behind him and kissed him softly on the edge of his jaw the moved up and kissed his cheek then his nose, both his eyes and finally, slowly, gently pressed his mouth into Fili’s. 

Fili’s heart was racing and his legs felt like jelly. His skin felt ultra-sensitive, like his nerve endings were on fire. Kili pulled away slowly. 

“Do you believe me?” He whispered against his mouth. Fili smiled softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too Ki.” He said and pulled the brunette’s lips back to his with a sigh.


	12. Tales of Ice and Lightening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! These are not new stories, I am doing some maintenance and figured I should move over my birthday prompts from last year in order to make my works all nice and neat going forward :P
> 
> So enjoy if you haven't read these before and if you have there is more writings coming now that I have finally finished exams! x

The house was cold and empty when he awoke. Fili rolled over and Looked out of the window on the other side of the room to see the wind swirling through the air, ruffling the trees in the weak morning sun. He felt a small smile rise across his face. Kili or not, there was work to be done. He pulled back the covers and stood up on bare feet, wriggling his toes to force feeling back into them, and threw the window wide open. A gust of cold air hit him in the face and his smile grew. November. His favourite time of year. He glanced at the clock and reluctantly closed the window. Once he was fully dressed, Fili pulled the door closed behind him and lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the morning sun. 

The air was crisp and everything seemed new and clean in the morning light and the chilly air. Brilliant white snow dusted the trees and the mountains shone like brilliant crystal in the light. Fili climbed his way to the roof and stood with one hand shielding his eyes. He squinted, looking North and licked one finger, holding it out to feel the air. He nodded to himself and gave a little jump, catching the air currant, lifting him high above the little wooden house. 

As he drifted high above the earth he took a moment to enjoy the view. Breath-taking as it was. He never got tired of looking at thick forest of sweet smelling pine trees that surrounded his home or the soaring mountain range just beyond the horizon. He set about his work with a quiet enthusiasm, humming to himself as he began to sprinkle snow over the fur trees closest to the house. Then he motioned to a cloud as it drifted by easily guiding it towards him. Fili took a deep breath, feeling the air swirling around inside him. He closed his eyes and focused and let the air out slowly in an icy gust, blowing straight into the cloud and getting caught within. He smiled and repeated the process until the cloud was full to bursting before sending down towards the lake below and, with another flick of his wrist, the cloud expanded and contracted like it was breathing, letting flakes of snow fall like icing sugar over the lake. The lake groaned as an icy sheen spread its way across and a minute later and it was frozen over completely.

As he worked Fili his mind drifted. As mages of the north, both he and Kili had duties to the great blue wizards, who, whilst very powerful and wise, were also very rarely around to do the jobs themselves. They’d both been taken on as children and trained to rule the regions of the North, bringing their chosen phenomena to the world in the wizard’s absence. Fili had chosen to study ice and snow. He loved the raw beauty that ice could bring. It was dangerous and cold but also pure and hopelessly beautiful. Kili had chosen command over thunder and rain, one of the hardest skills to master. They had lived together for their whole lives, training together and, eventually, working together and living together. He’d been drawn to Kili, the dark mystery in his eyes and the devilish slant to his smile. As Kili had chosen one of the hardest skills to master he had been called away for a few days’ work in the west to prevent a water shortage in the tribesmen territory. It was very important work, he’d assured Fili, and it would only take a few days. But, a few days later there was no sign of him. Now, over a two months later and he still hadn’t returned. Fili was starting to get worried. He could feel the panic rising through him the longer his lover was away from him. Hours slipped by in moments and Fili saw the sky starting to darken. He retreated to perch on the roof of the house, swinging his legs and shooting and way the last snow filled clouds as they followed him up. He planted a foot against one soft cloud and pushed it away gently, watch in it rise into the sky and drift away. Suddenly, something wet hit the tip of his nose and he sniffled and looked up at sky as more droplets fell from the heavens and hit the ground below him. What in the world? Fili rose to his feet and craned his neck, watching the sky twist, fading from blue to grey to black and back again. He extended his cloak and jumped into the sky. He twirled around, holding out both hands, catching the water, letting it run effortlessly over him. It came down heavier, I’m fat drops that spattered over the house and made great dents in the perfect white snow. Rain. But that meant…. Fili turned and looked down a smile fliting across his face as a dark haired figure rose to meet him. “Fili.” He said. Fili launched himself through the air, colliding with him in a flurry of snow and sleet as Kili wrapped his arms around him, “you are back.” Kili chuckled and wrapped him in a tight embrace. “Of course I am. It took more time than we thought it would. There is trouble in the West… were you worried about me?” He teased. Fili pulled back and gave him a soft punch on his arm. “Of course I was! You were gone for so much longer than you planned and lightening is an unpredictable thing, I didn’t know what to think! ” As he spoke, a whirlwind of snow rose up around them, settling as Fili relaxed. Kili stroked a blonde strand of hair behind his ear and lent their foreheads together with a grin. “I’m just so happy you’re safe.” “I’m sorry my love I didn’t mean to leave you for so long.” He lifted a hand and ran it down Fili’s cheek, a soft smile on his face, “I am fine. I am here.” He leaned down and planted a kiss on his forehead. “And I love you.” Fili turned his head and their mouths met. Kili turned in his arms and grasped his blonde hair whilst his other hand rubbed teasing circles into his hips making his breath come in short gasps between kisses. Kili started to laugh before Fili bit his neck and it turned into another moan. Around them, the wind started to pick up, blowing the rain and sleet sideways into the mountains. Whirlwinds of snow cascaded down on them and the tell-tale crashes of thunder could be heard in the distance. They parted, panting for breath and Fili laughed through the onslaught of snow. “We should probably go in. I think we’re over doing it.”Kili nuzzled into his neck and hugged him tighter. “And how did you reach this conclusion?” He said into the soft skin of Fili’s nape. Fili looked up at the sky and squinted as the sky turned completely white from the snow.  
Lightning bolts danced across the sky and the nearby trees were bent so low they almost kissed the ground. “I cannot see more than three feet in front of me.” He teased. Kili sighed and pulled away, looking up and grinning. “Well then,” he held out his arm and Fili took it and turned them towards the door. The storm ragging on all around them, “I am here. And I will not leave you again any time soon.”


	13. Time Travel baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mm8fic - Britchell, harry potter au (non-student/teens) or time travel au, “I hope we stay/Thick as thieves/Butter and bread/Pillars on colonial homes/” lyrics to Unconsolable by X AMBASSADORS.Time travel AU.
> 
>  
> 
> I absoloutley LOVED writing this one! Thank you to mm8fic for such an awesome prompt xD

January 1984 

Anders couldn’t sleep. The tears had long since dried on his cheeks as he tried in vain to snuggle down into the covers on his batman bedspread. He didn’t know why Mike had to be so mean. One moment he was on the floor in the living room, happily watching cartoons with his other brother Ty, yelling in glee whenever he defeated the bad guy and saved the world, and the next he was being hauled upstairs and shut in for the night. 

He should be used to this by now, his eldest brother was always in a bad mood. Anders never really picked up why but he’d learned not to ask. He could still hear yelling from downstairs as Mike and their dad started arguing about why he was never home for more than ‘ten bloody minutes’ Anders pulled the duvet up over his head, trying his best to block out the rising voices and, eventually, the yelling stopped. There was the sound of the front door slamming so hard it shook the whole house. Anders scrambled out of bed and ran to his window. Sure enough, his father was stomping his way through the garden gate and Anders could hear Mike storm past his closed bedroom door, a string of mumbled swear words following in his wake. Anders turned back to the window and watched his dad climb into the driver seat of his white pick-up truck with a sinking feeling in his chest. Despite the fact that his father was very rarely home and seemed to ignore his sons when he was, Anders still couldn’t stand it when he left. It made his mum mopey and irritated and it made Mike downright horrible to him and Ty. He watched the tail lights disappear around the bend and turned reluctantly to go back to bed. A flash of colour caught his eye and he stopped, confusion clouding his face. He scanned the back garden carefully, looking over the line of fur trees at the far end and the countless bushes that his mum had planted to ‘stop those prying neighbours from starring at them.’ There was a rustling from the bushes and he bought his hands up to the window, cupping them over his eyes and straining. A man was sat just behind one of the trees, his silver hair glinted in the moonlight and Anders could see that he was rubbing his head and glaring up at the sky. He looked hurt but Anders wasn’t sure what to do. He had been told always not to talk to strangers and an old man sitting in his garden glaring at the sky is definitely strange but he had also been told to help people if they were in need. His mind made up, Anders tugged his over coat down from behind his door and pulled it on before making his way down the stairs. 

His mother was still awake, Anders could hear the TV blaring in the front room as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He stood for a moment and listened intently before tiptoeing past the closed door and out through the back door in the kitchen. 

The night air was cold and Anders pulled his coat collar tighter around himself and started down the garden path. When he reached the trees the man was still sitting on the ground and rubbing his head. Up close, Anders could see that the man had short curly white hair and dark brown eyes. His skin was wrinkled like he had been smiling his whole life. He looks like Father Christmas Anders decided. 

“Are you ok?” The man yelped in surprise. 

“Fucking hell!” When he saw Anders he clapped a hand over his mouth. Anders found that really funny. Mike and their dad swore all the time so he was used to it. “Sorry, I shouldn’t swear so much, my parents always told me that…” Anders knelt by the man and held out a hand, like he’d seen his mum do when she met his teachers at school. The man smiled and took his offered hand, shaking it seriously. 

“My name is Anders Johnson.” He said politely. 

“I’m John Mitchell but please, call me Mitchell.” Anders liked the way the man’s eyes crinkled when he smiled, his dad never looked that happy when he smiled. 

“Mitchell, are you ok? Would you like some tea?” Mitchell frowned and looked behind Anders at the house. 

“I’m alright I just fell over and hit my head on the branch I guess.” He rubbed his head again and glared up at the branch. “And won’t your mother and father mind?” he asked. Anders shook his head.  
“My dad isn’t here and mum always says to help people when they need it come on.” Mitchell got to his feet and followed him slowly back to the house. Anders made him sit at the kitchen table before going to check on his mum. 

He pushed open the door and crept slowly in. “Mum?” a soft snore came from the armchair and Anders saw that his mum had fallen asleep in front of the still blaring television set. He thought about waking her but she looked so tired that Anders just covered her with a tartan blanket and pulled the door softly closed behind him. 

Back in the kitchen Anders made two cups of tea and climbed onto the counter to reach the biscuits in the top cupboard. “Here you are.” He placed the cups on the table and Mitchell thanked him and took a sip. 

“Thank you Anders. Why are you up at this hour at all? It’s quite late for you isn’t it?” Anders took a sip of his own tea and scowled at the taste of it. He spooned three tea spoons of sugar into it and stirred. Much better. He looked into his cup sheepishly. 

“I was having a bit of an argument with my brother so I couldn’t sleep.” Mitchell laughed and ruffled his hair. 

“Sibling troubles huh? I wouldn’t know about that I was an only child. I used to fight something rotten with my friends when I was around your age, usually about something completely stupid and pointless...” He laughed at the memory and Anders laughed too. He liked Mitchell, he decided, he talked to him like he was a grown up rather than like a kid which is what his parents always did.  
“Mitchell, why were you in my garden?” Mitchell rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and looked down at his tea. 

“Here’s the thing Anders, I’m going to tell you the truth but I don’t think you’re going to believe me.” Anders raised an eyebrow. Mitchell leant forward and grinned at him. “I can travel in time.” He said excitedly. Anders eyes went wide. Mitchell smiled ruefully. “Well, I can’t really control it. I never really learnt. I could be talking to my mum one second and the next I’d be somewhere completely different three days earlier.” Anders looked at him in wonder, his tea forgotten on the table in front of him. 

“But how can you do that?” He asked, “That’s impossible!” Mitchell looked very happy with his reaction and sat back on his chair, rubbing his head absently. 

“Anders? Is that you?” Anders mother called from the living room. Anders head whipped to the door and he clambered down to open the door. 

“Yeah mum, I’m in the kitchen with Mitchell.” His mother walked into the kitchen and closed the back door. She picked up the cups of tea and placed them in the sink. She was tired. There were great bags under her eyes. She smiled lazily at him. 

“Who’s Mitchell honey? Is he a friend of yours?” Anders jumped up and down with excitement. 

“He looks like Santa clause and he’s very nice. He’s sitting right over...” He looked back at the table but Mitchell was nowhere to be seen. His mother washed the two cups and put them away in the cupboard. 

“What was that Anders? Argh you had some biscuits didn’t you? Anders it’s too late for biscuits now!” Anders was still starring at the table. 

“He can travel in time.” He whispered. 

“What was that sweetie?” Anders grinned and looked up at his mother in glee. 

“Mitchell can travel in time mum!” His mother nodded absently and ruffled his hair. 

“Of course he can dear, off to bed now Anders, it’s past your bedtime.” 

May 2047 

The rain was coming down in heavy rivulets and Mitchell could hardly see anything through it. It was only the fact that he had been living in the town for years that meant he knew which way the diner even was. He turned up the collar of his coat and cursed Anders for taking the only umbrella in the house to work with him that morning before taking a breath and moving out from under the bus stop where he’d taken shelter. 

He was still grumbling to himself when he reached the door. ‘Rosie’s Diner’ was a modest and cosy place on the corner of the main street. It looked a little withered and weather beaten and most of the people that lived nearby had long since abandoned it for its more modern competitors but Mitchell liked the cosy interior and the friendly locals still loyal. He shook his head as he opened the door and walked inside. Rosie was behind the counter. She shot Mitchell a welcoming smile as he passed and indicated for him to take a seat. Mitchell pulled out a stool and grabbed a colourful menu. It was more of a habit rather than to see what he wanted. Mitchell visited Rosie’s almost every day whilst Anders was at work and he suspected he was her most regular customer. 

“Hey doll. The usual?” Rosie’s southern twang bought him out of his thoughts. She stood in front of him, eyebrow raised and notepad poised. Mitchell smiled at her warmly and nodded. 

“Please Rosie, how’s the husband?” Rosie made a big show of rolling her eyes and throwing her hands in a careless gesture. 

“You know James. He shuts himself up in that garage of his all day long I hardly ever see him!” Mitchell chuckled. 

“I’m sure he’s planning something extra special for you Rosie. He adores you know that!” Rosie shrugged and patted Mitchell’s hand and walked back to the kitchens. Mitchell looked down at his shirt, noticing a strawberry jam stain on the bottom of it and sighed in exasperation. He took a napkin off of the counter and rubbed at the stain. He was just reaching for a left over glass of water to really get into it when he heard a quiet sob from somewhere behind him. Abandoning his shirt, Mitchell turned and saw that a young boy had sat down in the back booth directly behind him. All he could see was the top of a dark blonde head as the kid was bent over the table with his forehead resting against it. Mitchell tilted his head and watched carefully, giving a half smile when the boy’s shoulders heaved with another quiet sob. He got up quietly and moved to stand beside him. 

“You ok kid?” he asked. The boy looked up startled. His eyes were red rimmed and puffy. The look of surprise faded to one of contempt and he let his head hit the table again with a dull thud   
“It’s you.” He said dully. Mitchell furrowed his eyebrows and sat down on the other side of the booth. Gesturing to Rosie to indicate that he had moved, he looked back at the kid to see he hadn’t moved at all. From what he’d seen of the boy’s face Mitchell judged him to be around 15 or so. And angry. Actually, he thought to himself, he looks defeated. 

“It’s me? Sorry kiddo I don’t know you. I just saw you were upset.” The boy looked up angrily for a moment before his face fell again, as if the effort required too even be mad was too much for him   
“It’s me old man. It’s Anders. You fell into my tree when I was ten years old.” Mitchell’s eyes widened. Was he talking about…? Anders sat up and started picking at the paper advertisement on the table. “Well I guess you look a little younger now so I guess it hasn’t happened to you yet.” He smiled at the blatant look of astonishment on Mitchell’s face. “Time travel’s a bitch huh?” Mitchell chuckled and rubbed his hand through his hair. 

“That it is Anders.” He said softly. “That it is.” Anders opened his mouth to reply just as Rosie put Mitchell’s full English breakfast down in front of him. He smiled up at her and she smiled cheerfully back before turning to Anders with a flourish. 

“And what can I get you puddin’?” Anders all but glared at her. 

“Nothing.” That was the only one word answer Anders seemed able to give and Rosie looked at Mitchell. They shared a mutual look that said ‘teenagers.’ 

“Oh no you don’t. He’ll have a sundae Rosie, lots of ice cream and sprinkles.” Rosie winked at him and nodded. 

“Comin right up doll.” She walked away and Anders turned to look at him. 

“So you’ve met me before?” He asked. Wanting to make a mental note on how much he should know at this point. Time travel was so confusing and Mitchell didn’t want to add to the turmoil of emotions Anders was feeling right now. Anders wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and looked at the table. 

“Yeah. When I was ten. You were in my garden and I gave you tea. You disappeared before I could tell my mum you were there.” Mitchell grimaced. 

“Sorry about that, I never learnt how to control it so it’s great to know I don’t master it in the future either…” He took a bite of his eggs and savoured the taste for a moment. 

“So Anders, why are you sitting at the back of my favourite diner looking all mopey and miserable?” Anders glared at him and then his shoulders sank. 

“I was at home, in my room and then I was here. I guess I travelled whilst I was crying- I mean whilst I had my eyes closed.” Rosie placed an enormous sundae in front of Anders who managed a small smile and took a tentative bite. His face softened after the first taste and Mitchell chuckled. That’s Rosie’s sundaes alright. 

“And why were you moping?” He teased. Anders face fell again and he went back to looking at the table. 

“My dad, he um… he left when I was eleven. He never really spent much time at home so it wasn’t much of a change but…” he paused to take another bite of ice cream and Mitchell took a few more bites of his own food. When Anders looked ready to take again his took a breath. “My mum’s gone. I got home from school yesterday and she just... she wasn’t there. Mike’s 20 now so he has to look after us but…” His eyes were red and his voice sounded strained. “Why did she leave? Why did she leave us alone like that? How could she!” A bitter edge had crept into his tone and he began heaving spoonfuls of sundae into his mouth. 

“I’m really sorry Anders.” He said truthfully. “I know it sucks to have a family so fall apart. And I know that you’d probably appreciate if I gave you advice like an adult. My parents died not too long ago and I know how shitty it can make you feel.” Anders glared again. 

“Do you know what it’s like? You’re so old your life is nearly over! Mine’s only just started and they’ve already buggered off and left me!” Mitchell ignored the comment and simply sighed. Anders was breathing heavily after his outburst and suddenly looked at him. “I’m sorry.” Mitchell stretched across the table and ruffled his hair. 

“No worries kid. I know why you said it. You just have to remember that things are going to suck. Probably for a while, but Mike will try his best to cope with being a guardian. You have to give him a proper chance to put you guys back together. I’m sure you’ll be fine kid.” 

They sat in silence for a while. Eating their own food quietly. 

“Thanks old man.” Anders mumbled. Mitchell grinned at him and Anders face split in his first real smile of their encounter. 

“No problem. I’ll go pay for the sundae, back in a moment.” He stood up and made his way to the counter. 

“Who’s ya friend Mitch?” Rosie asked as she came over. Mitchell pulled out his wallet and set the money on the counter. 

“Just a teen going through a hard time. I think he’ll be ok now though.” Rose took the money and gave him his change before kissing him on the cheek and giving him a little smile. 

“Alright suga, I’ll see you tomorrow. And give that husband of yours a big fat kiss from me kay?” Mitchell laughed. 

“Any excuse I can get Rosie!” he laughed and waved at her over his shoulder, heading back to the booth only to find the sundae half uneaten and Anders nowhere to be seen. 

He opened the diner door and waved once more at Rosie before bracing himself against the rain and sprinting out the door. Under the cover of the bus stop once more, his pulled out his phone. He picked up after the fourth ring. 

“Hello?” Mitchell’s heart lifted at the sound of his voice. His own took on a teasing tone. 

“Well hello love, you are one moody teenager you know that?” 

October 1995 

It was ten minutes before his afternoon seminar and Anders was stood leaning against the door of the lecture hall waiting for the rest of his class to arrive. After a long fight with Mike about the fact that ‘history wasn’t a worthwhile subject’ Anders had managed to convince him that a joint honours degree in history and politics would be useful to the Johnson family after he graduated in two years’ time. He had one or two friends that he’d made since arriving but neither of them had any concept of time and always ended up being late for Mr J’s lectures. 

“Hey.” Anders frowned, peering around the almost empty hallway. There were a few first years gathered around the politics classroom across the hall but none of them were addressing him. “Hey!” Anders looked towards the source of the noise and met the eyes of a lanky looking kid with curly dark hair and brown eyes walking towards him looking a little lost. Anders gasped. It was Mitchell. His hair may be dark rather than the grey he was used to seeing but the eyes were exactly the same and the voice, deep and an Irish lilt blending through. He was certain that the young man before him was the same old man that had bought him a sundae in a diner six years ago. This Mitchell couldn’t have been more the eighteen years old. 

“Hey,” the man stopped beside him and became apparent that Mitchell didn’t recognise him. 

“I’m lost could you tell me where I am?” Anders smiled at him and sighed. He always seemed to meet Mitchell when the older man hadn’t met him yet. He frowned at the thought and shrugged. Time travel was so confusing. 

“We’re in front of the history wing Mitchell.” He said knowingly. Mitchell’s eyes widened. 

“How in the hell did you know my-“he faltered as recognition flited across his face. “Time travel.” It was a statement rather than a question and Anders laughed and clapped him on the back. 

“Time travel.” Mitchell laughed too and looked at him. Anders felt a little embarrassed under the scrutiny. Mitchell had only ever been a kind old guy that gave him dairy treats and life advice but now here he was now, a few years younger than himself and looking more than a little attractive in his confused state. 

“So you’ve met me before then?” Mitchell asked, leaning against the wall beside him. Mr J breezed past them and into the room. A thin trail of students started to trickle into the room. 

“Yeah, a few times when I was younger, you were a lot older. I always seem to meet you before you’ve met me.” Mitchell smiled. 

“Weird. What am I like as an old man?” he teased. Anders turned to him. 

“You’re awesome, I was going through some seriously tough shit back then and I didn’t know how to handle so I just shut myself off and didn’t talk to anyone. I was so caught up in myself I didn’t realise that I’d travelled to a diner for like five minutes but you talked me through everything and it made me see things from my brother’s point of view.” Mitchell was looking at him a little stunned and Anders chuckled. “You basically stopped me from being a whiney teenage dick.” Mitchell clapped him on the back and grinned. 

“Well, in that case, you’re welcome for my wisdom and support.” Anders reached up and ruffled his hair. 

“Watch it, you may help me in the future but right now I’m older than you sonny. Respect your elders!” Mitchell’s grin grew wider and his eyes sparkled. Anders felt his insides twist and his cheeks heat up. He glanced at the clock on the wall behind them and then motioned to the room with the nod of his head. 

“So,” he started “I have a presentation today. I usually just sit at the back of the classroom and fantasise about the hot TA down the hall.” Mitchell scoffed at that but Anders just ignored him “but there’s supposed to be a person coming to give a talk and I’m really excited for it. Do you want to sit in or do you have to get back to... Whatever you were doing?” Mitchell turned to read the clock too and his eyes widened and he smiled absently at him. 

“Thanks but, I need to try and get back… I’m just about to go into an exam...” Anders eyes widened and he patted Mitchell on the back. “Oh my god! What great timing… Which year are you in?” 

Mitchell looked at him and Anders could see his worrying his lip between his teeth. 

“I’m in my first year but this exam really sets me up for my next course so I can’t concentrate on anything at all right now. I just have the different areas of the body running behind me eyes every time I blink.” Anders laughed. 

“Do you have any tactics for getting back quicker then?” Mitchell looked back down the hallway where Anders had first seen him. 

“If I hang around where I first travelled then it sometimes means I can do it again faster than if I wonder around a lot.” Mr J passed them as he left the room again. “I really have to go. It was good seeing you again I guess.” 

“Mr Johnson, into the hall if you please.” Mr J was walking back towards them. Anders gave a wave and walked into the seminar room. 

He took his seat in the back row and opening a bag of chips from the bag concealed under his desk. Mr J walked in and started the lecture, talking about Norse history and then, about three minutes into the lecture, he opened the door and announced that it was time for the speaker to come in and begin their presentation. 

Anders looked down to make sure his phone was on silent and when he looked up his jaw dropped. There, standing in the doorway looking like he had no idea where the hell he was, was Mitchell   
“Um... Hi.” Mitchell stuttered. He glanced at Mr J who completely missed his silent plea for help and instead ushered Mitchell to the middle of the room and took a seat beside one of the girls in the front row. Mitchell looked around and caught Anders eyes. He gave him an ‘I helped you. You better do something here’ look but Anders simply shrugged, laughed quietly and popped another chip into his mouth. The look of silent betrayal on the brunette’s face was enough to make him choke on the chip with laughter. If Mitchell shifted back halfway through the talk he’ll sense it first and leave the room but until then Anders could sit back and watch an eighteen year old deliver a talk to a room of twenty four year old history students. 

By the end of the hour, Anders was wiping genuine tears from his eyes and holding back bursts of laughter. It had quickly become apparent that Mitchell knew nothing at all about Norse history so the presentation had turned into an endless stream of bad puns broken with half true Norse legends. 

When Anders left the hall he found Mitchell waiting for him outside and it was all he could do to stop himself from collapsing in a heap on the floor with laughter when he saw the look of betrayal resurface on his face. 

“You are such a dick!” Mitchell spluttered. “You didn’t do anything to help me!” Anders could barely breathe. 

“Oh my god, you are a massive dork.” Mitchell’s narrowed his eyes and punched Anders lightly on the shoulder. “Mr Mitchell wisest and fairest of all old men is actually a massive nerd in disguise.”   
“Shut up. I had no idea what to say so I just made it up…” Anders wiped a tear from his eye and stood straighter. 

“No, really? Could have fooled me Mitch.” Anders was grinning now. He elbowed Mitchell in the ribs and then started down the hallway. Mitchell jogged behind him to catch up. 

“Oh shut up you little-” Anders grinned and turned round thinking Mitchell had been unable to come up with a comeback and had simply lapsed into silence. 

“What was that Mitchell? I didn’t quite hear yo-” the hallway was empty behind him and the grin on his face shrank to a small smile and he sighed, shouldering his bag, and walked off to buy some more chips. 

April 1991 

John Mitchell felt elated. And nauseous. He felt invincible and extremely vulnerable all at the same time He must have taken too long to respond because she asked again. 

“How was that for you?” Mitchell felt a contended smile spread across his face. He pulled a hand through her silky hair and directed the smile at her. 

“I’m wonderful.” He said. Annie was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his short life and, last night, after a weird set of events involving his best friend George making him drink vodka shots before shoving him towards Annie and a few of her mates who were minding their own business at the bar round the corner Mitchell had discovered he was not very good at all at chatting up women and Annie had taken his hand and asked him if he wanted to leave. 

Now here he was, lying in her bed at 4am with what must have been the goofiest smile ever plastered across his face. 

He became aware that there was a pounding starting in his head. The vodka shots themselves hadn’t done much more than give him a buzz of liquid courage but paired with all the other alcohol he’d been drinking that night and Mitchell was feeling like a herd of elephants were charging through his skull. He sighed and relaxed back into the bed. He had plenty of time to just lie there and relax until he had to get up and go home to go with George to the… Mitchell’s eyes sprang open and he jerked upright in panic. 

“Shit. What time is it?” Annie’s sleepy reply was muffled from the pillow beside him. 

“What? About 3am. Why?” Mitchell jumped out of the bed and fumbled for his underwear and trousers as he went. Annie sat up. 

“Are you alright?” she asked. Mitchell hopped around on one foot trying to pull his other sock on and it made her laugh. Which made Mitchell’s grin even goofier. Then he grimaced as his head started thumping again. 

“I may have had too much to drink, I feel kind of sick.” He finally got the sock on and sat down to pull on his trainers. Once he’d tied the laces he sat back and sighed. “And I have to get home since George and I have to study today.” Annie’s face scrunched up sympathetically and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“Aw, poor baby.” She teased. “Alright, I’ll see you around?” Mitchell turned and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Suddenly really shy despite what they’d just been doing. Annie smiled sweetly at him and yawned. Mitchell got up and smiled softly. 

“I’ll let you sleep.” He said quietly, picking up his shirt and walking to the door. 

He didn’t have a key so he just pulled the door closed and was thankful to discover that it locked itself with a soft click. Mitchell jogged up the garden path to the gate. After an initial drunken struggle with the gate he finally got it open and stood looking up at what he was pretty sure was Annie’s bedroom window although he couldn’t be sure. 

“What are you looking at with smiling about like such a goon? You look really creepy.” Mitchell started and whirled round to see Anders lent on the fence of the house next door. A cocky smile on his face. 

“Jesus! Anders?” Anders walked forward and came to stand beside him. He looked up at the window. 

“Hey there old man. What’s up? You look to be in high spirits.” Mitchell’s smile was back and Anders looked at him with one eyebrow raised. “And the creepy smile’s back.” His expression of confusion lifted and he grinned. “Oh my god, you shagged someone didn’t you!” Mitchell blushed and scowled down, angry at himself for being so bloody obvious. “And it was your first time wasn’t it?” Anders teased in a sing song voice. 

“Maybe.” He said quietly. Anders grin widened and he nudged Mitchell in the shoulder. 

“Congrats buddy. She hot?” Mitchell sighed, still looking up at the window. 

“She’s gorgeous.” He murmured dreamily. 

“What’s her name?” 

“Annie.” Anders nodded in approval and neither of them spoke for a few moments before Anders looked at him again. 

“I’m really not comfortable starring at a random girl’s bedroom window for ten minutes could we like, move or something?” Mitchell opened his mouth to make a smart comment before remembering that he needed to get home. He hobbled to the car and Anders moved round to the other side of the car. They stood looking at each other. 

“What?” Mitchell asked, trying to dig his keys out from his jean pocket and fumbling every time. Anders crossed his arms over his chest and held out his hand. 

“Give me the keys.” Mitchell finally managed to pull the keys from his jeans by the four leaf clover keychain that Annie had bought for him as a gag gift for Christmas three years ago. 

“What?” Anders marched over and took the keys from him before giving a shove over to the passenger side of the car. 

“You are very drunk from banging a girl and all I was doing was feeding my fish so I will be driving.” Anders climbed in behind the wheel before Mitchell could start arguing. 

It took them nearly an hour to get back to Mitchell’s house as he had a hard time remembering the way sue to the Irish dancing troop currently practicing their routines inside his brain. When they finally reached the flat he shared with George Anders reverse parked and threw the keys back to Mitchell as he climbed out. Mitchell, in all his drunken glory, missed them and had to crawl half way under the car to retrieve them before he could let Anders in. George was passed out in his room and Mitchell closed the door to his room and walked back into the kitchen, stopping to pull two bottles of beer out of the fridge. He placed one in front of the blonde and cracked his own open with a leprechaun shaped bottle opener. Another gag present, from George this time before collapsing into the folded seat across from him and taking a long swig. 

“You ok to keep drinking?” Anders asked, opening his own beer and taking a gulp. Mitchell shrugged. 

“I’m drunk enough, one more beer’s not gonna make much of a difference.” They sat in silence for a moments whilst they sipped their respective beers. 

“We never talked about this very much huh?” He asked gesturing vaguely towards the whole time travelling mess they were in. Anders put down his beer and lent his elbows on his table. 

“I guess not… when did you find out you could do that?” Mitchell rubbed the back of his neck and tried to remember. 

“I was really young.” He began. “I was playing in the park and my mam was sitting on a bench and then the park changed and I was somewhere completely different. I remember sitting in a bush and crying my eyes out and this tiny little blonde kid came over and gave me his ice cream and we played hide and seek.” He laughed and then starred at the blonde face across for him. Blue eyes widened in a mirrored look of recognition. “Was that you?” Anders nodded slowly and a moment passed before his face cracked into a grin and he started laughing. 

“Of course it was you. Every bloody time I go anywhere you’re there!” He said between chuckles. Anders took another swig of beer thoughtfully. 

“One time.” He said with a laugh. “I was in the middle of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in the cinema and I blinked and turned up in a hospital in the children’s wards, you know where babies get treated when they’re premature and stuff like that? Well I was in a big white room and my dad came out of one of the smaller rooms to the side and through the door all I could see was my mother hooked up to the stirrups with this babies head just...” Mitchell groaned and waved his hands about in the air. 

“Oh god no no! I get it!” He yelled “You actually witnessed your own birth?!” Anders shook his head like he was trying to force the memory from his own mind and nodded solemnly. 

“I’ve afraid so... been afraid of hospitals ever since… and babies... and my mother.” Mitchell laughed and downed the rest of his beer. 

“One time I was in the middle of breakfast and travelled to the centre stage of a Slipknot concert with a mouthful of cereal in flannel pyjamas and a t-shirt.” Anders almost choked on his beer. 

“Holy fuck. What did you do?” Mitchell shrugged and laughed as he remembered. 

“I panicked, gave a rock on symbol and stage dived into the crowd. When they put me down I travelled back in desperate need for a shower and a hearing aid.” Anders grinned. 

“Rock on.” He said simply. Mitchell looked at the clock and got to his feet to stretch. 

“I really have to go to bed now Anders, I have to study tomorrow and I’m shattered.” Anders got one leg up under him and watched him as he made his way to his room to change. 

“Is it all right if I crash here?” his voice called through from the living room. Mitchell searched around for a clean shirt and pulled it on. 

“Yeah, hang on one second!” He wrestled the shirt over his head and checked himself in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was a mess but it was too late to do anything now since Anders had already seen him like that. Mitchell sighed and ran his finger through his hair, trying and failing to flatten it before pulling a spare blanket out of his cupboard and an ABBA t-shirt, not a gag gift this one, and walked back into the living room to find Anders standing rather awkwardly by the sofa. Mitchell smiled at his discomfort and threw him a shirt. “Here, wear this. You can sleep on the sofa if you want.” Anders smiled and stripped off his shirt. Mitchell couldn’t help but peek at the tanned skin that was revealed and then quickly covered as Anders pulled his shirt over his head. 

“I most likely won’t be here in the morning” Anders said as he climbs under the covers on the sofa. Mitchell nodded and waved goodnight before falling onto his own bed in a drunken heap and falling asleep instantly. 

When he was awoken the next morning by George pottering around in the kitchen and dropping a mug with a muttered “Fuck!” Mitchell all but crawled into the living room and found that the sofa to find it empty. 

December 2035 

The church was quiet when Anders head finally cleared. He was having a hard time with travelling nowadays and it always seemed to wreak havoc with his tired old bones. He looked around cautiously and found he was standing in the graveyard facing the church doors which were grand and old and stood open. The air was heavy and solemn as if the building itself was in mourning. Anders absently rubbed his back with withered hands and walked uneasily towards the doors. He stopped to glance at the board outside which read in simple black letters: Memorial service in memory of Annie Mitchell aged 23 all friends and family welcome. Anders felt like the breath had been knocked out of him, this must be a funeral for Mitchell’s wife. 

“What’s her name?” 

“Annie.” Anders felt his heart break, it was the same girl from all those years ago. Little Mitchell’s first. He took a breath and stepped inside. 

There was an empty space in the back pew and though he got a few odd glances from other attendees wondering why an old man they didn’t recognise turn up late to the service, he seemed to go unnoticed by the vast majority of the people sat around him. He saw Mitchell, beautiful and melancholy, in the very front pew looking off into space with a vacant expression on his face. The man he sat next to gently nudged him, startling him out of his day dream and the man pointed to the pedestal at the front of the church decorated with white Lillie’s and draped fabric. Anders watched him climb slowly to his feet and walk to it in silence. 

He felt numb. He could barely breathe as he sat in the front row of St Mary’s, the same church where they were married only three years earlier. God she’d looked so beautiful that day, her smile could have lit up the room and the way her eyes sparkled made Mitchell feel like the luckiest man in the world. He tried to hold back tears though he could feel the beginnings of them start to trail down his cheeks. He felt his father gently nudge him in the side and Mitchell started and glanced at him. He gestured at the podium at the front of the church by the casket and gave him a sympathetic smile. Mitchell stared for a few moments and walked silently to it. Stopping to lay a hand on the coffin as he passed. 

He looked out at all the gathered guests and took a deep breath, pulling the crumpled notes out of his pocket and cleared his throat. 

“Hello, I’d like to thank you all for coming.” He began, painfully aware that his voice was quivering slightly. “Annie would have loved the fact that everyone came just for her.” This earned a few laughs from Laurens parents and their friends from university. Mitchell took a deep breath. “Annie really did love people and she was always willing to help anyone who needed it… I remember when George and Nina needed a place to stay whilst Nina was having Lila and Annie let them stay in our crummy little flat in a heartbeat.” He laughed quietly. “We had a few conversations about that let me tell you, especially when they took our bed for three weeks straight. But Annie never cared. She was helping out her friends when they needed it most and that’s what she did for everybody. Including me   
When I met Annie she was this gorgeous second year in my medical course at school and I thought I had no chance with her but, amazingly, even after my terrible terrible flirting she let me take her home. She loved me.” He gave a little laugh, somewhat deliriously as he remembered the way she’d held his hand in hers and told him she loved him. “She really loved me and I loved her too, so much and in ways I never knew I could.” The tears wouldn’t stop now and he looked down, trying to get his breathing under control as he sobbed. When he glanced up he saw an old man sitting in the very back row, tears gleamed on his cheeks and a familiar look in his sky blue eyes. It was a look of such acceptance and such understanding. Of such love that Mitchell knew it a heartbeat that it must have been Anders. The old man smiled encouragingly and Mitchell felt a wright lift from his shoulders. He looked up at the rest of the congregation who were looking back at him with encouragement. He looked at the coffin and back to where the old man sat just as Anders faded from view. Like a drawing erased from paper. Mitchell smiled fondly and continued. “And I’ll miss her. I’ll miss her with every fibre of my being. And I know that she’d hate to see me in such a mess.” He laughed through the tears. “But I will. Goodbye Annie, rest in peace love.” 

June 2015 

“Can I get you anything else?” The bar tender asked. Anders looked down at the glass of scotch in front of him and shook his head. 

“I’m good thanks.” The bar tender nodded and turned away to talk to a pretty girl standing at the other end of the bar. Anders sighed and took a swig. Turning and leaning back on the bar Anders looked back into the crowded bar and tried once again to look for his date. The club was a modern one with flashing lights and loud thumping music that hurt his ears. Anders was all for dancing and partying. He’d danced in bars with numerous men and women all over the world but he tended to avoid places like this if he could help it. He’d only been here an hour and he felt that at least half of his hearing had failed. 

He’d had a bugger of a day. He’d woken up late and Dawn had gone mental at him the moment he arrived at the office. Anders had to send her out for coffee just for a moment of peace. He missed the meeting with the beer company and Anders had had to spend three hours on the phone with the most soul suckingly boring woman on earth trying to arrange another one. 

Dawn was the best assistant any one could ever ask for. She was calm, collected and smart. She was also easy on the eyes wish never hurt anyone. In fact the only downside of having Dawn work for him was the fact that he had to deal with her and Ty constantly making out and being sickeningly romantic all over his office. 

He glanced over as another man walked into the bar. He swayed slightly on his feet, labelling him as already a little drunk. He sat down a few stools away from Anders. His hair was dark and fell in curls around his ears. From the side Anders could make out his strong jaw and a shadow of stubble. There was something familiar about the man and Anders looked at him for a while longer. The man must have realised he was being starred at because he turned and their eyes met. Blue and brown gazed at each other for a moment and then the brown eyes widened. 

“Anders?” Anders paused, glass half way to his mouth. He sounded surprised and Anders couldn’t blame him. He had definitely not time travelled when he’d come to the bar and, looking at him, Mitchell’s only source of surprise was seeing Anders there across from him. Maybe he’s just used to it. Thought Anders with a half shrug. 

“Hey Mitch.” He said casually, moving along the bar until they were sat next to each other. 

“What are you doing here?” Anders took a sip and sighed. 

“I’m just having a few drinks. Kicking back after work, nothing big what about you?” Mitchell raised an eyebrow. He was drinking a beer, the bottle currently raised towards his mouth. He cocked an eyebrow at him and Anders fought another sigh. Mitchell had really filled out since the last time he had seen him. 

“Somehow I find that hard to believe. You look positively mopey. What are you actually doing here?” He sighed and put the glass down, looking up at the ceiling. 

“Got stood up.” Mitchell slapped him on the back sympathetically but, since he was a good foot taller than him, Anders staggered forward under the impact. 

“That sucks.” He straightened up and took another sip to cover up his embarrassment. 

“Indeed it does.” 

“Was she pretty?” 

“According to my brother who set us up he was ‘out of this world hot’ How about you?” Mitchell ignored his correction which either meant he didn’t care, didn’t realise or was into the same thing. Anders hoped it was the latter. 

“I just finished my shift and needed a bloody drink.” He’d pulled a stool out from under the bar and Anders sat down. 

“Where do you work?” Mitchell signalled the bar keep and ordered another beer. 

“I work at the hospital downtown, night shifts.” Anders frowned. 

“Wait you didn’t travel to get here?” Mitchell looked up and shook his head. 

“No. Did you?” Anders shook his head. 

“No. I own JP publicists round the corner from here.” Mitchell leaned back so far he almost fell off his stool. 

“Wait you work just round the corner! So we’re actually meeting? For the first time?” 

“It would seem so.” They were silent for a few moments. The bartender put Mitchell’s beer in front of him and he downed half of it in one go. 

“I saw a blonde woman and a dark haired dude getting pretty serious in there the other day...” Anders chuckled. 

“That’d be me assistant Dawn and my younger brother.” 

“The same one that set you up with insanely hot dude?” 

“No, that’s Axl, Ty stays well out of my love life... and well into Dawn’s…” Mitchell’s face screwed up.

“Gross. But, doing it on your boss’s desk, that’s pretty up there on inventive places...” Anders eyes widened. 

“My desk! Oh my god I ate on that when I got back!” He put his face in his arms and shook his head. “She must have wanted payback for sending her to that meeting so I could stay in bed any longer. Well played Dawn.” Mitchell patted his back sympathetically again and then his voice got softer.

“You were at my wife’s funeral you know.” Anders sat up, his embarrassment forgotten. 

“Really?” Mitchell nodded.

“Yeah, you were quite a bit older than now and you sat right at the back I didn’t even notice you until I was half way through the eulogy.” He looked down at the bar and Anders could see his fists clenching slightly. “I wish I’d known you’d been so close for so long… It would have been good to be able to talk to you.” Anders felt a flash of anger at his future self. Even if he knew that he never did have control over when he travelled. He put his arm round Mitchell’s shoulders and Mitchell’s head lent against his shoulder. His breath smelled like beer. 

“It’s going to be alright Mitch, I’m here now and I dare say I’m not going anywhere for a while alright?” He felt Mitchell nod against his shoulder. “You are drunk as hell aren’t you?” He mused. 

“Not ‘as hell’.” Mitchell insisted into Anders sleeve. Anders rolled his eyes and tugged Mitchell to his feet. “I’m getting serious de ja vu here. You haven’t grown up at all have you?” Mitchell’s response was muffled since he lost his balance and ended up smushed against Anders back. 

Outside the bar, Anders helped Mitchell to his car, the same as it had been when he was nineteen, and got in behind the wheel. 

They arrived, nearly an hour later, outside a tall apartment building with white washed walls and a fancy looking door. Inside Anders went in search of Mitchell’s bedroom. He heard Mitchell fumbling with his shoes and cursing as he fell onto the floor with a crash. It took him a while to find it but eventually he found a room covered in clothes and other bits of junk but there was a bed in one corner. He stood by the open door and Mitchell’s arms wrapped around his waist. Anders smiled but didn’t turn around.

“Sorry for being a drunk.” He mumbled. Anders turned in his grip, coming face to face with a flushed looking Mitchell who pressed himself against him. 

“You get a free pass, night shifts suck ass. Come on let’s get you to bed.” He tried to move but Mitchell shook his head.

“No you don’t get it. I missed you so much. I had such a huge crush on you when I was nineteen…you’re the best…” he leant forward and their lips met softly. 

“You look pleased.” He mused. Mitchell smiled goofily and finally dropped his hands. Then his face fell and he lunged for the bathroom across the hall.

Anders walked over and lent against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. Mitchell groaned as he threw up into the toilet bowl. 

“Sexy.” Anders said.

“Fuck off.” Came the reply.

A minute later Mitchell reappeared and Anders had to laugh at the expression on his face.

“You ok there?” He teased. Mitchell waded through the mess on the floor and flopped onto the bed Anders joined him and they lay facing each other. 

No, I had way too much to drink. I delivered a baby tonight… seven hours of nonstop hysterics from both the mam and dad... it was exhausting.” Anders laughed again and Mitchell grinned at him. The grin turned to a grimace that made him laugh harder. Mitchell looked at him for a moment and reached forward to draw small circles on his hip.

“You sure you’re ok?” Anders whispered. Mitchell nodded and Anders opened his arms. 

“Come here.” Mitchell scooted over and Ander hugged him. 

He awoke a few hours later. It was still dark outside and Ander turned over to watch Mitchell’s profile in the moonlight. His curls looked really dishevelled in the mornings and Ander brushed it aside.  
“Hey.” Mitchell stretched and smiled lazily up at him. 

“Hey.” He replied and kissed him, dragging Anders down until he was lying on top of him and Mitchell started open mouth kissing along his shoulders. Anders hummed at the sensation and pressed a chaste kiss to Mitchell’s temple.

“I’m glad to see you’ve recovered.” Anders mused. “And this seems to be a thing that’s happening now.” He said, gesturing to their current positions. Mitchell frowned and took he face in his hands   
“Of course Anders. I have had a crush on you since I was nineteen. I loved Annie so much but I always had a crush on the mysterious older man that does nothing but take the piss out of me.” He said seriously. “I seem to be attracted to assholes…” They both chuckled and Anders batted his hands away. 

“I like you too you daft Irish idiot.” Mitchell put both arms behind his head and Anders lay beside him. Anders propped himself up on one elbow and placed his hand on Mitchell’s chest. 

“You have such a way with words.” Mitchell said dryly. Ander shrugged.

“What can I say? I’m a dream. Who wouldn’t want to sleep with me?” 

“Was that an invitation?” Mitchell’s eyes sparkled and Anders grinned back at him. 

“Usually I’d say yes in a heartbeat but you are still drunk as fuck and I don’t fancy being thrown up on.” Mitchell made an indignant sound that Anders promptly ignored. “Maybe we should talk some more?” They lay facing each other for a while before Mitchell started to drift off again. 

“I’m glad you were there for me.” Anders said. “You got me through some bad times early on Mitch so thank you.” Mitchell yawned and kissed his cheek.

“No problemo Anders I’ll always be there to get you outta stupid things.” Anders laughed. 

“We get kinda sentimental late at night huh?” He asked. Mitchell laughed too and then his face fell. Anders frowned and lifted a hand. It was fading in the light, turning transparent.

“Aw shit.” Mitchell was looking terrified and Anders quickly ruffled his hair. 

“Hey don’t worry about it.” He said, aware that his voice was fading as well and getting quieter. “I’ll be back before you know it.” Mitchell nodded but didn’t look very comforted. Anders kissed him quickly. “I’ll always come back.” Then Mitchell’s room faded completely and Anders was surrounded by darkness. It faded just as quickly and he found himself standing on the side of a road with a small, dank looking gas station just up the road. There was nothing else around for miles. Anders took a deep breath and started walking back home.


	14. That Asshole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This fic is for JustGotEmSharpened who asked for a "That asshole stole my karaoke song" FiKi style. This was so fun to write oh my god and due to the wonderful skills of my good friend Taupe, Fili and Kili ended up as musical nerds with a passion fro Queen and Grease xD

Fili was not competitive by nature, he really wasn’t. At school he’d never really cared what team he was in for sports or how many gold stars he got compared to the other kids in his class. When he’d grown up and left the playground behind he’d never developed the competitive streak that was common among his colleagues, game design being a massively competitive market, but the one thing Fili could not stand was being upstaged at karaoke night. He watched the song thief as the guy chatted excitedly with his companion, a tall blond guy with willowy limbs and the most ridiculously groomed hair Fili and ever seen from where he was sat in the corner sulking. There was an untouched bottle of beer beside him. Fili took an angry swig and tried very hard to look irritated as possible, aware that it made him look more like a sulking toddler than a pissed of twenty-something. 

A sudden whack to the back of his head had Fili shooting forward, almost hitting his forehead on the table and Tauriel dropped into the seat opposite him with two glasses of highly suspicious looking pink liquid. Fili turned his scowl on her as he considered the glass. 

“Cosmopolitans?” He asked, eyeing the liquid with disdain. “You remember what happened the last time you made me drink cocktails of unnatural colours?” 

Tauriel had been his best friend ever since Fili’s first day at The Blue Mountain Group when he’d tripped her over and made her spill coffee all over one of the visiting staff. She was a fellow designer with a flair for graphic design and art skills. Her scathing wit and all round geekiness had made her instantly likeable. She reached forward to flick his nose and Fili quickly ducked his head. 

“Yes. I seem to remember you having fun that evening and not sulking like a three year old just because someone else chose the song-“ 

“But it was MY song T! Everyone who comes here knows that!” He was painfully aware that he sounded like a petulant child but that didn’t stop him from pouting like one and crossing his arms. 

Tauriel scowled at him and pushed the glass pointedly closer to him, an eyebrow raised. 

“Maybe he’s new? Did you ever think of that you idiot?” She said dryly. Fili took a resigned sip. She did have a point. He looked over her shoulder at the guy who threw his head back to laugh at something his friend had said, the strobe lighting catching him as he did so, illuminating his profile with a weird green glow. His hair was dark and twisted into a messy bun at the nape of his neck. Fili has never seen him before. Tauriel must have noticed his lack of response because she looked up and caught him staring. 

“He’s pretty cute.” She said with a smile. Fili tore his eyes away from the man and blushed at the redhead’s raised eyebrow. “What? I was talking about the blond not the ‘song thief.’” She said sarcastically, raising both hands to make inverted commas. Fili smiled despite himself and Tauriel continued trying to break him out of his mood. “Come on Fi we can do a different song.” Fili crossed his arms. “We can do Summer Nights.” She pressed in a lilting voice and Fili’s face split into a grin. 

“We do rock that one.” He beamed. 

Half way through his cocktail the lights went up and the owner of the club, known only as ‘The White Wizard’, climbed up onto the makeshift stage. The DJ handed him a mic and stumbled out the back door, presumably for a smoke. 

The White Wizard was a tall man with windswept white hair and a sparkling smile that made his eyes crinkle around the edges. Fili had affectionately dubbed him ‘bow tie guy’ since he wore an increasingly more outlandish and colourful one every time Fili saw him. Tonight he was sporting a spectacular number that was nearly the width of his broad shoulders. It was a bizarre combination of pink and green which really shouldn’t have worked and yet somehow The Wizard pulled it off perfectly. 

“Welcome back everyone!” He exclaimed, smiling so bright that Fili felt his own face split into a face aching grin of his own. Wizard peered through the neon lights of the club, seemingly making eye contact with every person seated before him. “I see we have a few of the usual suspects,” he gave Fili and Tauriel’s table a nod with Fili returned and Tauriel waved, “and some new faces as well.” This time a nod towards the dark haired man’s table. He and his friend ducked their heads almost in unison before the dark haired guy looked up and made eye contact with Fili and the only thing that went through his mind was fuck me his glasses. They were sleek with black frames and they were perched on the end of his nose like a goddamn sexy librarian and it made Fili’s insides start doing somersaults. His eyes were a deep concentrated blue and they were staring right at him and Fili almost forgot to be angry. “So! Now that most of the song selections have been made…” And the annoyance was back. “Let the karaoke begin!” 

Tauriel got up to request their song, leaving Fili to take a better look at Mr Sexy Librarian as his friend got up to order more drinks and left him alone at his table. He took out his phone and started texting, allowing Fili to watch him uninterrupted and the more he watched the harder he found it to be angry at him. He was just so cute the way he smiled at the text he got as his fingers flew over the keyboard. When he looked up and caught Fili staring he raised one eyebrow and Fili hurriedly looked away, his cheeks flushing as he pretended to check on Tauriel who was pressed very close indeed to Librarian’s ethereal friend at the bar. They both watched their friends as they fumbled with respective drinks and turned to smile at each other knowingly as they returned to their tables side by side, Tauriel practically gliding back to her seat. She flopped down with an alarmingly cheesy looking smile on her face. Fili raised an eyebrow. 

“Oh god is that what I look like when I’m looking at someone I find attractive?” He said dramatically. Tauriel scowled and shook her head. 

“No, you don’t make it look nearly as cute as I do.” Fili scoffed. 

“So, what’s his name?” He teased. Tauriel’s scowl melted away into a smile again. 

“Legolas. It’s his and Kili’s first time here so…” 

“Kili?” He asked. Tauriel grinned and waggled her eyebrows. 

“The hot brunet that stole your song.” She said nonchalantly. “Speaking of.” When she trailed off Fili looked up only to come face to face with Kili who was standing awkwardly before them playing with the hem of his jumper. “I invited them to join us.” She finished. Legolas slid easily into the booth beside Tauriel leaving Kili to drop down next to him with a smile and a wave. Fili had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from whimpering because it was just so unfair for a grown man to be this adorable. 

“I hope you don’t mind. Legolas said we were invited over.” He asked as he took a sip of the beer he’d brought over. Fili shook his head, half in answer to the question and half to shake himself out of the thoughts he was currently having about Kili being so close so suddenly. 

“Not at all.” He said easily, offering a wide smile and a hand. “I’m Fili.” 

 

Half an hour later 

 

Kili had turned out to be just as adorable as he looked. He and Legolas had blended with them as if they’d been friends with Fili and Tauriel for ever. He discovered that Legolas worked as a photographer for one of Fili’s favourite magazines and Kili was currently in his last year of theatre school. Fili was fast warming up to the two of them. Every now and then Kili would lean in to hear Tauriel’s voice a little better and he ended up pressed into Fili’s side, the soft material of his jumper brushing Fili’s bare forearm. 

“You guys helped make Barrel Rider? I played that game every day for six months when I first got it!” Fili blushed and gave him a lopsided grin. Kili had started practically bouncing in his seat with excitement when he learnt that Fili and Tauriel made video games for a living. His eyes were lit up with barely contained fascination as he listened to them. 

“Yeah, you know the boss fight with the dragon on level 15?” He asked. Kili nodded eagerly and leaned right over the table. “That took Tauriel and I like a year to get completely right!” The brunet’s smile was so bright and infectious that Fili almost laughed despite himself. 

There was a constant background hum as the night continued and various people got up to sing. After a pretty horrendous rendition of ‘Your Sex Is On Fire’ that had all four of them laughing uncontrollably Wizard announced that it was Kili’s turn to perform. Kili turned at the sound of his name being called. Grinning he handed his drink to Legolas and got up to walk towards the stage. But not before stopping next to the box of props beside the stage and picking out a cane. Fili sat up straighter as the first few beats of Queen’s ‘Killer Queen’ played over the sound system. 

He started clicking to the beat, head bent and voice soft. Fili had to lean forward in order to hear him properly. 

“She keeps Moët et Chandon   
In her pretty cabinet   
'Let them eat cake,' she says   
Just like Marie Antoinette   
A built-in remedy   
For Khrushchev and Kennedy   
At any time an invitation   
You can't decline…” 

Fili could have heard a pin drop. Kili threw his head backward and grinned at the crowd, his voice climbing in volume. He spun round and stamped his foot to the beat, planting himself at the front of the stage. To say that Kili was good at singing was an understatement. His voice was low and warm and there’s a playfulness in it as well, like he was on the cusp of laughing. It was balanced and husky and Fili felt like he was drowning in it. 

 

“Caviar and cigarettes   
well versed in etiquette   
extraordinarily nice” 

There was a bite to the word “nice” and Fili felt a heat rising in him. His chest felt tight and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Kili as he rotated his hips in time to the music. 

“She’s a Killer Queen   
Gunpowder, gelatine   
Dynamite with a laser beam   
guaranteed to blow your mind   
anytime   
recommended at the price   
Insatiable an appetite   
Wanna try?” 

He flipped the cane, twirling it over and over in his hands and then looked straight at Fili and winked. Goddamn winked. Fili was shifting uncomfortably in his seat, his face flushed and Tauriel was looking at him smugly and Fili wanted to punch the stupid look off her face. The room burst into applause and Kili jumped down off the stage and retook his seat next to Fili who immediately pulled him down into a breathless kiss that was all teeth and tongues and god he tasted so amazing. They parted breathlessly and Fili pulled back, leaning their foreheads together and gazing into Kili’s eyes. 

“You’d never guess he was angry at you would you?” Tauriel mused from beside them. 

Damn. Fili had forgotten they were still sitting there. 

Kili’s brows furrowed. “He what?” Fili shook his head and grumbled. 

“You took my song…” Kili laughed and ruffled his hair. 

“So it would have been you up there twirling that cane and shaking your thing?” He teased. “Damn, I almost wish I’d let you have it. I’d have loved to see that.” Fili laughed.   
“I fear you would have been disappointed, you were more amazing than I would have been.” Kili scoffed and leant back in his own seat, throwing a casual arm over the back of the booth and curling his fingers around Fili’s shoulder. 

“I seriously doubt that, I can’t wait to hear you sing later.” He said grinning. “Now,” he turned towards Tauriel’s still half-drunk Cosmopolitan. “What the hell is that and where can I get one?” 

When he and Tauriel got up to sing ‘Summer Nights’ Fili was beaming like a loon. A pink cocktail is a powerful thing and Fili had drunk three in the past hour. He was pretty sure he was only hitting half the notes but he didn’t care. He and Tauriel ended up clinging to each other as they sang to each other with increasingly overdramatic facial expressions. They almost fell off the stage when they got to the “shoo-bop bops” as Fili began shimmying his shoulders in time with the music which had Tauriel almost on her knees with laughter. She joined in soon after and they were swaying to opposite sides and grinning at each other manically. 

Tauriel wiped away tears and reached for his hand, wiggling her fingers. “He got friendly, holding my hand.” Fili moved away and sank to his knees “Well she got friendly down in the sand.” 

They continued like that until the end of the song. They walked towards each other from opposite sides of the stage and clasped hands in the middle, looking at the audience sadly as they sang. 

“It turned colder, that's where it ends   
So I told her we'd still be friends   
Then we made our true love vow   
Wonder what she's doing now   
Summer dreams, ripped at the seams   
Bu-ut oh, those summer nights!” 

He could feel himself going cross eyed on the last note but he was grinning and Tauriel was pressed into his side, exaggerating Sandy’s warbling last note with a flare and a dramatic sweep of her hand. The music ended and they burst out laughing, trying to keep each other up and failing miserably, they both ended up sitting on the stage, wheezing for breath as the audience’s applause died down. 

They stumbled back to their table where Legolas and Kili were waiting with shit eating grins on their faces. Legolas was instantly before Tauriel, pulling her into a kiss before whispering in her ear. They moved off towards the bar and Fili watched them go for a moment. 

“She is so smitten.” He said smugly. When he turned back to Kili the man was knelt up in the booth with one eyebrow raised and Fili reminded himself that he was also absolutely smitten so he really had no room to be smug. “So,” he began jokingly “, what did you-“he was interrupted by Kili dragging him down over the edge of the booth. Fili yelped as he fell backwards and landed sideways with his head in Kili’s lap. Before he could say anything Kili’s lips sealed over his and his hands were in Fili’s hair, pulling and twisting it around his fingers. Fili suppressed a laugh and wrapped his arms around Kili’s waist. 

“So glad you approve.” He chuckled when they parted for air. 

“You.” Kili muttered, peppering his face with kisses. “Are god. Damn. Adorable.” He stated. “And sexy.” He punctuated each word with another small kiss to his cheek, his nose, his eyebrow. Fili laughed and batted him away fondly. 

“I should sing more often.” He teased. “If this is how potential dates react.” Kili eyes were intense as he looked down at him. 

“Only potential? I’d say we’re a pretty certain thing you and me.” Fili’s insides twisted and he reached to cup Kili’s face, brushing his cheeks with his thumbs. “Your pulling technique is pretty fool proof.” Fili was in need for a long interrupted couple of hours in bed with Kili and snacks and a whole lot of cuddles. 

“You want to come back to mine?” He asked quietly. “Maybe I could serenade you and you can give a lap dance?” Kili scoffed and nodded, climbing to his feet and hauling Fili up after him. 

“Of course you dope.” He said, turning to look at him over his shoulder “Let’s get out of here.” 

Legolas and Tauriel walked over, arms wrapped around each other and smiling like they knew a secret. “Hey!” Fili said when they stopped beside them. “We’re going to head off.” Tauriel’s face fell and she reached forward to clasp Fili’s hands. 

“What? No you can’t go yet!” Legolas nodded furiously and takes Kili’s hands too, pulling him back towards the stage. Kili’s eyes widened and he looked back at Fili whom Tauriel was also propelling along before her. 

“What are you doing?” He asked. 

“Tori and I have asked to do another song.” Legolas explained. Kili raised an eyebrow. 

“And what does that have to do with Fili and I pray tell?” They reached the steps leading up to the stage and Tauriel shoved Fili up them, sending him stumbling into the middle of the stage. Legolas did the same to Kili and they were left standing next to each other, staring down at their respective best friends with confused frowns on their faces.   
“That has everything to do with you two.” Legolas grinned with a half shrug. 

“Since it’s not us who’s singing it.” They ran back to their seats, leaving Fili to look over at Kili with an eyebrow raised. Kili shrugged, a small smile on his face and held out a microphone for him to take. Their fingers brushed and a little shock of electricity coursed through him, making him smile. Then the music started and his smile turned to a scowl. He turned to glare at Tauriel who through her head back and laughed. Fili shook his head and turned to Kili, throwing him a wink and opening his mouth to sing. 

“Livin' in my own world   
Didn't understand…”


	15. Amralime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Filikilithorinforever who wanted a shapeshifter! Fili fic
> 
> Kuzdul words!
> 
> Amralime - my love  
> Amad - mother  
> Nidoyel – boy of all boys  
> Nadadel – Brother of all Brothers  
> Nidoyîth – Young boys

The river had been enormous fun, just as it always was, the warm summer sun had bathed the water in a glittering sheen and Kili had sat on his favourite rock, just under the waterfall and practiced shooting arrows at the birds as they flew past. But the rain had started and he had been forced to retreat back to his home. Kili sighed. He could barely feel his toes and his hair was plastered to his head as he trudged through the mud, his arrow bag trailing along behind him. 

Kili looked left and then right before dumping his arrows on the ground beneath a big oak tree and slumped against its trunk. He was lost, the rain was making his sight go blurry and all the trees looked the same. He felt tears welling up in his eyes and wiped furiously at his eyes with the back of a hand. He was not a cry baby. He needed to get a better look at where he was going. Kili felt the cool rough feeling of the bark on his finger tips and his face lit up. He turned and leapt for the lowest branch of the oak, pulling himself up with practiced ease and out of the onslaught of rain. A sudden rumble of thunder, like the hammer of Mahal himself, had him clinging to the trunk and screwing his eyes shut, a small whimper escaping his mouth despite himself. He cracked open an eyelid and tentatively reached for the next branch. 

Once he reached the top Kili took a deep breath and reared his head out over the top of the last branch. The Oak’s thick leaves had muffled the constant drumming but now the entire deafening roar hit Kili full force and he struggled to maintain his grip on the branch. As Kili looked towards the horizon he could just make out the mountains in the distance. He knew he was in the great forest to the east of the mountains but in his excitement and then the storm, he had no idea which part of the forest he was currently in. From above, Kili could easily see which way he needed to go. Smiling smugly to himself, he began his descent. 

As he neared the bottom another clap of thunder made him jump and almost fall. He managed to grip the trunk just in time and his legs slipped out from under him. He landed painfully on a branch three feet below him and managed to get himself into a more comfortable position whilst he rubbed his legs better. As he pulled up the leg of his breeches to check his knee, Kili heard whining coming from below him. He slowly got his legs under him and peaked down below him and gasped. A lion was sat just below him, its golden coat was soaked through and its head buried beneath its front paws. Kili watched with baited breath as it shuddered with the cold and tried to squirm further into itself. A flash of lightening streaked through the sky and the lion jumped, losing its grip on the tree and disappearing through the leaves and onto the forest floor. Kili scrambled down as quickly as he could, hoping from branch to branch until he reached the ground, Landing with a thud and racing towards the injured lion. 

Instead he found a young dwarf lying on the floor. He looked about the same age as Kili but his hair was un-braided and the colour of the sun, limp and wet as it was. It was so similar to the fur of the lion that Kili was almost convinced that they were one and the same. The dwarfling’s arm lay at a sickening angle to his body and Kili bit his lip. It looked bad. He knelt beside the dwarfling’s head, ignoring the wet squelching his knees made as they sank into the mud. 

“’ello?” he said, the blond didn’t make a sound. Kili prodded the dwarfling’s cheek and lifted his hair to speak directly into his ear. “Hello? Can ya hear me?” the dwarfling stirred and a pair of bright blue eyes met his. Kili had never seen eyes so blue. They starred at each other for a moment and suddenly the blond rolled over and growled at him like an animal. Kili fell backwards out of shock, blinking hastily as the dwarfling disappeared and the lion cub stood before him, front paw twisted away from its body at a sickening angle. 

The lion growled and started moving backwards away from him. Kili made to move after him but froze, realising that if he approached now, the lion would just think he wanted to cause him harm and leave or worse, attack him. Kili kept very still and held out a hand. 

“s’alright, I won’t hurt you.” He whispered. The lion cub’s ear pricked up, turning his head towards Kili. With a tentative expression, he moved his head up slowly until Kili could pet him softly between the ears. Kili felt himself relax and a grin spread across his face. “I’m Kili!” He said excitedly, staying on his knees so he could look the lion in the eyes. The lion tensed and closed his eyes. A moment later, the blond dwarfling was looking up at him with a gentle smile on his face. 

“My name is Fili.” He said in a small voice. Kili’s eyes widened. 

“How did you do that?” Fili frowned. 

“You mean this?” He said, gesturing to himself. “You can’t do this?” Kili shook his head quickly. 

“No, I’m just a dwarf I can’t change into an animal whenever I want. I have to say it’s very impressive.” Fili’s answering smile was wide. Kili felt a shift inside him and his cheeks flushed. Hurriedly he changed the subject. “Is your arm ok?” Fili looked down at it as if he’d forgotten the fall altogether. 

“I can’t feel it but I don’t think it’s supposed to look like that.” Kili bit his lip and climbed to his feet. 

“My uncle will know what to do and my mum is the best healer in the Blue Mountains apart from Master Oin.” Fili shrank back into himself again and Kili tilted his head. “What’s wrong Fili?” Fili was looking at the ground, twisting the hem on his shirt around the index finger of his good hand. 

“Are you sure they’ll like me, my mum didn’t like me at all. She said I didn’t belong with dwarfs, that I didn’t belong anywhere.” Fili swiped his arm across his nose as it ran and his voice cracked. Kili frowned. He couldn’t imagine Dis ever saying anything like that to him. Or to anyone. Kili grinned at Fili. 

“Of course they’ll like you! Uncle Thorin says that everyone belongs somewhere and 'amad loves meeting my friends.” Fili smiled at him and, after a brief moment, lifted his hand for Kili to take. 

 

By the time they made it back to Kili’s home it was well after dark. Dis came running out of the door as soon as they opened the gate and came hurtling down to meet them. 

“Kili when have you been? You were supposed to be back hours ago! Your uncle and Bofur out looking for you for-“ 

“Amad Fili needs help!” Kili interrupted his mother who regarded the injured dwarfling for a moment, eyes wide in surprise. 

“Mahal wept! Why didn’t you say so! Kili go fetch Thorin, he’s probably on his way back from the market by now.” Dis scooped him into her arms. Kili watched as she moved back towards the house. Fili sent him a look of alarm over Dis’ shoulder and Kili gave him his most reassuring smile before running off to find his uncle. 

Thorin was less than pleased to have been running all over the mountain but had eventually pulled Kili into a hug and carried him back to the house on his shoulders. 

“So who is this Fili you are talking about?” Thorin asked. Kili kept a tight hold on Thorin’s braids and leant forward to look his uncle in the eye. 

“He’s magic! He can turn into a lion whenever he wants and he hurt his arm when he fell out of a tree so I said he could come back home with me!” Thorin hummed and looked like he was thinking so Kili left him to it and diverting his attention to trying to catch the branches of a willow tree as they walked under it. 

When they arrived they both paused at the gate as the smell of meat drifting out through the windows. Both nephew and uncle looked at each other and hurried down the garden and into the house. Kili barely recognised Fili as he sat curled up in an armchair. His cheeks were bright with colour and he had such a wide grin Kili thought it might split his face. Fili’s arm was wrapped in bandages and secured in a sling. It didn’t seem to be hurting Fili any more since he was gratefully shoving spoonful’s of stew into his mouth. 

“Amad!” Kili ran to his mother who lifted him easily onto her hip to give him a kiss on his cheek and sooth his braids. “How is Fili, will he be ok?” Dis smiled down at her son. 

“Yes Nidoyel Fili will be absolutely fine with some rest and good food. I am so proud of you for carrying him all the way home Inùdoy.” Kili swelled with his mother’s praise and ran to jump onto the arm of the chair next to Fili. 

“Did you hear that Fili? You’re going to be ok!” Fili grinned up at him and threw his arm around Kili’s shoulders. Thorin smiled softly at the tow of them and took a seat in the chair across from them. 

“Fili?” the boys both turned to look at so in synch that Thorin almost raised an eyebrow at how fast they seemed to have bonded. 

“That’s uncle Thorin.” Kili supplied helpfully. “He looks a little scary but he’s actually a big softie right mum?” Dis laughed from her place in the kitchen and Thorin raised an eyebrow, mock glaring at his little sister. Fili raised his hand to wave shyly at him and Thorin smiled and waved back. 

“Why were you even in the forest on your own?” Fili sat up straighter and bit his lip. 

“My mother and father didn’t want me anymore.” He whispered. “They always said I was wrong and strange and didn’t belong anywhere and then one day they told me to get out and that they-they couldn’t stand to look at me anymore..” He trailed off, his voice breaking off. Thorin watched his 30 year old nephew put one tiny arm around his new friend’s shoulders and felt his heart grow heavy. 

“Why would they say something like that?” he asked gently. Fili paused for a moment and looked at Kili who nodded enthusiastically and hopped down off the chair. 

“Go ahead Fi! Thorin won’t mind!” Thorin hid his confusion and simply nodded. 

“I promise I won’t Fili, whatever it is.” Fili got up slowly and closed his eyes. Thorin tensed as the small blond dwarfling before him disappeared and a tiny lion cub was left in his place. Dis and Thorin shared a look and before Thorin could speak the lion was gone and Fili was back, cowering against the back of the arm chair. 

“I’m sorry!” He said desperately. Thorin shot up but was shocked to a standstill when Fili curled up even tighter into himself. Thorin wanted to hit himself. He moved sower until he was kneeling in front of the dwarfling. He held out one hand for a moment before softly touching Fili’s shoulder. 

“It’s alright lad, you’re safe here.” He glanced over at Kili. “Kili, go and get your bed ready Nidoyel, I believe Fili needs somewhere to sleep.” His nephew got up and ran out of the room and Fili was looking at Thorin like he was the only dwarf ever to treat him with kindness. Thorin was furious that a child should be unused to kindness and vowed that the expression of disbelief would never cross Fili’s face ever again. 

“Come Nidoyith, off to bed with you.” Fili smiled and launched himself at Thorin who almost fell over in surprise. He laughed softly and hugged the dwarfling. 

“Hey! I want a hug too!” Another small body crashed into his other side and Thorin hefted Kili up onto his other hip and held them both close. Dis leant against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. Thorin held his sister’s gaze over the tops of the boy’s heads and she smiled fondly at him. “Hey.” She said once the three had parted. 

“Don’t I get some love?” Kili laughed and hugged her round the middle. 

“Sorry ‘amad.” He said giggling. Fili approached somewhat hesitantly and Dis pulled him to her and he buried his head in her skirt. Thorin motioned to the door and Dis nodded. 

“Alright you two, let’s get you into bed.” Despite a lot of protesting from Kili, Fili was very obviously running purely on excitement so Dis managed to drag them both to bed. 

 

The sun was reaching its peak and Kili could barely feel his arms. They shook horribly as he raised his sword once more and advanced on the training mannequin. Somewhere off to his right, Fili was busy trying to twirl the throwing axes around and around his fingers, cursing every time he dropped them. Dwalin stood unmoving and tense before them, his eyes moving back and forth between them. Occasionally he would offer some piece of advice in his low gruff voice but mostly he simply observed and made sure they didn’t stop before the session was over. Kili struck the dummy five times. Once on each limb and then straight through the heart. Each strike landed perfectly and Kili gave a little cry of triumph once he’d completed the movement. Fili looked over and gave him a dazzling smile. He’d grown a moustache once they’d both reached maturity and the small braids Kili had tied into it were swaying in the breeze. It made Kili smile fondly. 

Fili had naturally been treated like one of the family and, in no time at all, that is exactly what he was. He and Kili had become as close as brothers. Kili loved him dearly, loved the way he always knew what to say when Kili was upset or the way he could recite the Durin family tree with more ease than Kili ever could. He always had the best prank ideas and he always made Kili laugh even on the worst of days. Kili was sure he could not live without him and frankly, he didn’t want to try. 

When their session as over Dwalin patted them on the back and both Kili and Fili struggled not to buckle under the weight. They bid him farewell and started off home. When they were about a mile away Kili took Fili’s hand and pulled him off the path and into the woods. Fili laughed. 

“Kili, Dis will worry about us if we don’t get back by nightfall!” Kili gestured carelessly and continued pulling him along. 

“We’ll be back before dinner Fi, look at how amazing the forest looks today! I want to get a better look.” Fili shook his head but followed dutifully as Kili knew he would. 

Kili loved the outdoors, or maybe it was just the forests that surrounded the Blue Mountains. They provided a place that felt sacred to the two of them. Somewhere they could go to be alone and have fun together. Kili walked with his head tilted upwards, savouring the last rays of sunshine as they filtered through the trees. He could feel Fili’s silent presence behind him, comforting and strong. 

They reached the waterfall a few minutes later, the sound of rushing water assuring them in their direction. They’d found it a few decades back on the way back from one of their hunting trips. It was in a large clearing in the middle of the woods. A perfect circle with a cascading waterfall on one side and a collection of large flat stones surrounding it, making them seem almost mystical in their tranquillity and perfection. Kili let out a cry of laughter and started stripping off his clothes before hurtling himself into the icy depths. 

He heard Fili splash down somewhere behind him and Kili smiled and floated onto his back, starring up at the sky. He felt the lion come up alongside him and turned to smile at him. The lion had grown just as the dwarf had and Fili’s other form was now a magnificent beast with a rich dark mane. When they were still dwarfling’s the lion would be Kili’s playmate and his protector from the elder dwarves. Now Fili used his other form rarely and when he did morph, Kili always had to stand back in awe. The lion swam towards the shore and climbed up onto a rock before closing its eyes and morphing back into its dwarven form. 

Fili’s chest was rising and falling softly and Kili was mesmerised by the way the light glistened over his chest. Kili had started to notice certain things as they’d gotten older. Fili was slightly taller and broader than he was, his muscles filling out and turning him from the weak young dwarfling the Kili had to protect from the older bullies so someone who no longer needed that protection and instead offered it to him. He had come to admire Fili very much and a strange pull in his chest alluded to something deeper. 

“-ili?” Kili shook his head and swam closer to his friend, pulling himself up onto the rock beside him to dry off in the sunlight. Fili was looking at him with a mixture of amusement and worry on his face. 

“What?” Fili chuckled softly. 

“I said I’m worried about Thorin. He seems distant, like something has consumed his mind. He doesn’t smile and joke like he used to. Can you remember the last time he joined us in our sessions with Dwalin? He used to love doing that.” 

Kili confessed that he indeed couldn’t remember the last time Thorin had asked them to show him their latest skills. 

“He hardly sleeps anymore.” He offered quietly, staring up at the sky once more. “I hear him sometimes, when everyone else is sleeping I hear his quills scratching away like a dwarf gone mad.” 

“I fear for him Kili.” Fili whispered. “He has to bear so much. Alone.” Kili sat up, shaking his hair from his eyes. 

“He has us Fi.” He said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. “We’re here for him.” Fili smiled up at him and reached out to squeeze his shoulder. 

“Aye, I suppose you are right.” His skin buzzed when Fili drew his hand away and Kili smiled at him. 

“Of course I am. Now, I bet you a round of ale that you can’t scare that bird out of the top of that tree.” Fili looked at him with an eyebrow raised then at the tree in question. 

“Ha! Child’s play!” 

 

Kili had bought the Ale. Of course he had, Fili was an amazing shot. Kili handed over the tankard, glad to see Fili less troubled than he had been by the river. 

When they arrived home they knew something was different. The front gate was standing open and Kili could smell pipe weed coming from the windows. He and Fili shared a look and pushed the door open. Balin, Dwalin and Thorin were all sat around the fire, their faces drawn and pipes ablaze. A man stood leaning against the far wall, pipe also alight, his eyes watching the three dwarves closely but leaving them to their conversation. Kili kissed his mother in greeting and gave her a questioning look. 

“Amad? What’s happened?” Dis ruffled Fili’s hair as he kissed her cheek and gestured for them both to sit at the kitchen table. 

“Hello Nidoyîth. No there is nothing the matter, your uncle discusses the mountain.” Fili and Kili’s eyes widen. 

“They speak of Erebor?” Fili asked, astonished. Kili’s mind was racing. They had been taught about the rightful homeland of the dwarves their whole lives and how the dragon; Smaug had taken it from them. Kili knew that someday, plans would be made to reclaim the mountain but he had not been expecting it to happen within his lifetime. After all, a dwarf may be fearsome but a dragon is a dragon. That much had been proven the first time round. Dis simply nodded, her face not quite betraying excitement and trepidation at the prospect. 

Kili wasn’t sure what to think. He had grown up in the Blue Mountains and had known no other homeland in all his life. He could not claim to feel the same way that his uncle and the other Dwarves that were there at the time were feeling but he could not ignore the flash of excitement that coursed through his body. To be in Erebor. To see the magnificent homestead of the Dwarves resurrected would bring no end of happiness for everyone around him. 

After they finished their super Fili and Kili sat down silently to watch the discussion between the crown prince and his friends. It had been discovered that Gloin had been hearing rumours that the Ravens were returning to the Lonely Mountain, an omen, he had said, that the time to claim back the mountain had come. This news had been received almost an entire moon cycle ago and Kili realised that Thorin must have been planning this discussion ever since. 

“What of Dain?” Dwalin asked gruffly. “What does your cousin make of this?” Thorin tilted his head up and spoke quietly. 

“I have yet to contact him on the matter. I intend to travel at sunrise to meet him.” Dwalin nodded. Balin spoke up from the opposite armchair. 

“Thorin, we have a good life here. Whatever you decide to do I am with you.” He paused, looking at his brother. “We both are but I need you to know that no one will begrudge you if you decide this to be too dangerous a task.” Thorin smiled softly at his oldest friend. 

“I am ever grateful to you my friends but this is something I must do. It is my right as a Durin and as a leader.” Balin returned the smile. 

“Aye.” 

“Master Gandalf has told me that, in order to get into the mountain we will need a burglar. Therefore we are to meet at The Shire in the East in one cycle’s time. I trust all of you to get a company together in my absence.” There was a murmur of agreement around the room and Thorin climbed to his feet. Moving until he was standing before Fili and Kili. “You too Nidoyîth. A king needs his heirs close by his side on all his quests.” Kili felt a swell of pride and id it with a solemn nod and a wide grin. Fili was more hesitant. 

“Thorin I am not an heir of Durin.” He said quietly. Thorin clasped both his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. 

“My dear lad. You are as much my son as your brother. I would be most grieved if you did not come.” Fili smiled shakily and nodded. Thorin smiled and hugged them both tightly to him before pulling back to address the room. “We quest for Erebor.” 

 

That night Kili could barely sleep. He lay facing Fili in the darkness, holding him close as they talked about the great journey to come. 

 

Erebor was sombre in the morning light, sunlight streamed in through the holes in the ceiling and Kili sat against a great stone pillar, dull with age and tried to stop his heart from sinking. Thorin Oakensheild appeared, dressed no longer in the furs and robes of a king but in the travelling clothes of a dwarf warrior. The Durin crown lay prone in his fingers, almost forgotten. 

For hours all that had been heard from outside the walls was the sound of battle. Dain’s army fought and killed and died without them. The sounds haunted Kili’s every waking moment. 

“Will you follow me one last time?” He implored. Kili struggled to wipe the tears from his eyes and nodded as strongly as he could. Dwalin got up to clap his leader on the back and the others chimed in with their own cries of allegiance. Kili watched as Fili approached him, his blue eyes fiery. He dropped down beside Kili and wordlessly held out his arms for him. He threw himself at the blond and they held each other close. Fili sighed and ran a hand through his hair comfortingly. 

“I am glad to be safe here with you but it is not right that we hide behind these walls and let other dwarves fight and die for us.” He’s arms tightened around Kili and he felt his heart sore. Kili shook his head. This was not the time to profess his affections. He berated himself for even thinking such a thought. But then again, if not now then when will he get another chance? Perhaps now, before the biggest battle of their lives, was the only time they had left. 

For hours all that had been heard from outside was the cries of the wounded and of the dying. Now, the great doors of the mountain opened and the company of Thorin Oakensheild prepared for battle. Just as they were preparing their strike Kili spoke up. 

“Fili?” Fili looked up, their eyes met and Kili couldn’t speak. He pulled Fili forward so that their foreheads were touching. “Stay safe Nadadel.” Fili clasped the back of his head. 

“For Erebor!” Thorin bellowed. The company charged forward into the daylight and Kili immediately drew his bow, letting lose a volley of arrows that sliced into the oncoming Orcs, knocking down six easily. Six more took their place and Kili took a deep breath. 

“Stay Safe amralime.” Kili whirled round but Fili was already running off in the other direction. Axes drawn and regal and frantic as the blood started to fly. My love. Kili thought, feeling new strength grip his body he turned and let out a cry, launching himself into the battle. 

“Fili! Kili! To me!” Thorin’s voice had Kili running into retreat towards his uncle. He could see Fili approaching from the north and the pack of Orc’s that had singled them out followed also in a flurry of shouts and giggles and metal scraping metal. Kili’s shoulder was burning like fire but he ignored it, slicing with his sword, deflecting a blow from a Warhammer. He makes his way frantically towards his family and, just as he reaches them, Thorin gets struck to the ground with a shout, blood erupts from his side and he is unconscious as he hits the ground. An arrow pierces the Orc’s chest as he celebrates his kill and Kili slides to his knees beside his uncle. 

“Kili!” Fili reaches them a moment later covered in blood, his chest heaving. Kili looks up at him, relief flooding his voice. 

“He is alive but he won’t last long.” FilI’s shoulder relaxed marginally. 

“We need to get him back to the mountain.” He said, turning to slice through an Orc’s legs as it rushed him from behind. Kili took a protective stance, letting arrow after arrow fly at anything that got close. Fili cried out and Kili whirled. Fili was on the ground, desperately holding off the blade of a knife which was pressed precariously close to his neck. Kili took aim and the Orc went flying. Fili turned to thank him but his eyes went wide. 

“Kili!” Kili turned but it was too late, a sharp pain erupted in his side and he felt himself falling. The hilt of an axe was buried in his ribs and he was left staring up at the sky, unable to move. Bolg stood over him and grinned horribly, blackened teeth showing in a terrifying leer. He raised another axe and Kili closed his eyes, waiting for the strike but it didn’t come. A growl tore through the air and Bolg went flying backwards. Kili saw his golden pelt at the lion took his stance over his fallen uncle and brother. Red liquid fell like rain as the lion tore through anything and everything that got too close. The lion whimpered and Kili’s eyes went wide. The lion collapsed beside him, eyes wide and breathing shallowly. He pulled himself towards him and laid a hand on the golden pelt. The blue eyes looked at him sadly and then they drifted shut. Kili felt his own consciousness fading and managed to wrap his arms around the lion’s body. 

 

“How can you ask this of me?” Kili and Fili shared a look. Thorin and Dis were arguing in the kitchen. The two crept to the door and listened intently. 

 

“You cannot expect them to remain here, they are heirs of Durin it is their right!” 

 

“And what will you do if they die Thorin.” Dis’s voice was close to breaking. Kili had never heard his mother sound so afraid. Her voice was so quiet that Kili had to strain to hear the rest of her words. 

 

“What will I do if none of you come back to me?” Fili’s hand found its way into his own and Kili looked at him. 

 

“I swear to Mahal himself.” Thorin said, just as quietly. “I will bring them both back home safely. We will all return.” There was silence from the other side from the door and then, 

 

“I pray you will.” 

 

Kili looked around at the carnage that surrounded him, at his uncle who lay unconscious and pale, at Fili who lay prone in his arms and finally, down at his own side, the deep gash oozing blood onto the green grass beneath him. As darkness crept into his vision he felt tears fall down his cheeks. 

“Forgive us amad.” He whispered, and then everything went black. 

 

Kili awakes to the sound of Master Baggin’s voice talking softly somewhere off to his right. He cracks open his eyes and sees the ceiling of a tent above him. When he realises where he is his hand goes to his side. It’s bandaged and, although there was a little blood sweeping through, the pain was almost gone. 

“Fili!” He shouted desperately. “Thorin!” Bilbo Baggins appeared beside him and smiled. His waistcoat was in ruins and his face was streaked with dirt but appeared unharmed. 

“Master Kili.” He whispered. “Thank goodness you’re alright.” Kili swung his legs around and sat up properly. 

“Bilbo. Where is everyone? Fili, uncle they were… they were.” Bilbo put a small hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. 

“Everyone is fine. Fili is still unconscious but Lord Elrond is hear and has been treating him.” Kili slumped. 

“Thank Mahal.” A tall dark haired elf Kili recognises bows his head before moving off towards another bed. A shock of golden hair caught his eye and Kili was up in an instant. “Fili!” The blond lay prone on the bed, his hair ad lost its shimmer and his skin looked so very pale. As Kili watched he noticed Fili start to stir, his brows furrowing as he fought off whatever had invaded his dreams. Kili swallowed his tears and spoke with a rough voice. 

“Shhhh. Quiet my love, you’re going to be fine.” He stroked a lock of hair off of Fili’s forehead and leant down to kiss his forehead tenderly. “I was so worried you had died.” He whispered fervently, aware that Bilbo and Elrond were watching him but he didn’t care. He had almost lost the dearest person to him the world. His rock, his best friend, his brother and his Other. He was certain of it. “Amralime.” He said quietly. “Come back to me Fili, let me love you for as long as I live.” Fili’s eyes opened slowly and he reached up to tug at Kili’s hair. 

“Kili.” He said, voice rough and slightly pained. “Kili, I love you. I always have I just- I. I never thought I was worthy of you but you almost died. Mahal you almost died and I would never see you again and I love you so mu-“ Kili interrupted him by closing the distance between them and kissing him softly on the lips. 

“You will never lose me my love.” He said firmly, cradling Fili’s face in his hands and kissing him once more. “Never.”


	16. You know how I feel about IKEA...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Short-arms-big-teeth asked for Anders dragging Mitchell to IKEA. And we all know how Mitchell feels about IKEA...

When Mitchell awoke his head was throbbing. He opened one eye and looked around. It took him a moment to realise where he was and rolled over so that the room wasn’t spinning as well as being upside down. He reached over take a few swigs of the glass of water Anders always kept on his bedside and glanced down. 

“What the fuck!” the bedsheets were red, the usual white linen saturated with blood. He was awash with it, it stained his favourite t-shirt and Mitchell could even feel it sticking clumps of his hair together. Mitchell could feel the panic grip in his chest and he bolted from the bed. Where was Anders? Oh god what if he’d... 

“Whoa there Dracula.” Anders voice pulled him from his panic and Mitchell turned to see the blond leaning in the bedroom doorway, one eyebrow raised and a collection of blood bags hanging from his fingers. “I’m ok.” Mitchell let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding and launched himself at his lover, flinging his arms around the shorter man’s neck and sending them both to the floor. 

“Aw shit my head! Get off me you great oaf!” Mitchell pressed a kiss to his lips and Anders reciprocated for a moment before shoving Mitchell off him and sitting up. His hair now spectacularly ruffled and a fond grin lighting up his face. 

“What happened Anders? I can’t remember a thing.” Anders sighed. 

“Bloody typical, you get blood starved, tear the place apart and can’t remember a bloody thing in the morning. We need to work on your bedside manners. I barely had time to save my fish for god’s sake!” Mitchell looked around. The apartment looked like a bomb had hit it. The walls were marked and stained with god knows what, the sofa cushions had been ripped open, their contents strewn all around the room and, as Mitchell looked closer, he could swear there was splinters of wood floating around the fish bowl. He buried his head in his hands. 

“Oh Christ Anders I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” They both climbed to their feet and Anders waved a dismissive hand. 

“I’m fine Mitch, tip top, you had some blood bags tucked away at the back of the fridge, a quick microwave and you were suckling like a teething child. Would’ve been cute if it was milk. As it was? You looked rather terrifying to be honest but you know me, love you despite your floors and bizarre eating habits.” 

They walked into what was left of the kitchen and pulled up the only chair that wasn’t smashed to pieces, Mitchell hoped up onto the counter, taking note of the deep scratches etched into its surface and winced. He raked a hand through his hair awkwardly, cringing at the feeling of congealed blood dragging across his flesh. Anders pulled a half empty bottle of scotch towards him and swigged from the bottle before passing it to Mitchell who gulped it down despite the burning it caused in his throat. 

They sat like that for a moment, looking at the devastation around them and passing the bottle back and forth between them. 

“God we make a right pair don’t we?” Mitchell asked after a while taking a large gulp from the bottle and looking at Anders who grinned back and started chuckling. Mitchell felt the laughter bubble in his throat and soon enough they were both full on laughing, doubled over as they tried to not to fall onto the carnage trodden into the carpet. 

When Anders wiped his eyes and stood up, pressing a kiss to Mitchell’s forehead and going in search of a broom Mitchell started scooping up the broken glasses and throwing them out. He turned on the stereo, miraculously un-damaged due to Anders putting it in highest cupboard he could reach whilst standing on the counter. The sound of the radio filled the apartment and he grinned when Vera Lynn’s voice drifted over the speakers. He hummed along as he picked his way across the room, sweeping bits of table and window pane into piles for Anders to sweep up. 

“Good good, what the fuck is this shit?” Mitchell chuckled as Anders announced himself, dramatically clapping both hands over his ears whilst holding the broom. 

“This is a fucking classic! Vera Lynn is an angel!” Anders shook his head. 

“You’ve got old man music taste mate!” Mitchell just shrugged and continued waltzing round the room, occasionally singing a line or two back to Anders who shook his head and hid a smile. 

As Dreamer by Supertramp flooded through the room the apartment slowly started to take shape once more. When the last of the rubbish was thrown haphazardly into the street they made a quick count and agreed that the table, six dining chairs, two sofa’s, one arm chair, all the curtains and the kitchen counter all needed to be replaced. 

“Right then,” Anders said chucking a set of keys over his shoulder as he headed to the front door, “you’re driving.” Mitchell raised his eyebrows. 

“Where are we going?” Anders held the door open for him. 

“We’re getting new furniture.”   
__________________________________________________________________________________ 

“I am turning the fuck around!” Mitchell steamed. Anders crossed his arms and gave him a look. 

“You’re fucking not.” He replied. 

“You can’t Bragi me to get me to go in there.” Mitchell pointed out. Anders leant forward and smirked at him. 

“That may be true my dear Mitch but I can withhold your sex rights and you know how stubborn I can be.” Mitchell slumped forward in his seat, planting his head on the steering wheel and recoiling when the horn blasted. 

“I thought you’d forgiven me!” Anders was already pulling open the passenger door and getting out of the car. 

“Not a chance in hell pretty boy there was some expensive shit in that apartment.” 

“You know my feelings about IKEA…” Mitchell grumbled, reluctantly undoing his seatbelt and exiting the car. Anders grinned at him over his shoulder. 

“I know my dear, now come on we need new furniture.” 

The first thing Mitchell notice was the smell, he found himself almost choking on the in your face floral scent of some ‘Sunshine Daisy of the valley.’ 

“It smells like my nan’s house from the 1800s.” Mitchell whispered disdainfully. Anders elbowed him in the side and hid a grin. 

“I like it.” Mitchell tried and failed to hide his dismay. 

“Seriously?” Anders walked off without him, heading towards the way too brightly labelled ‘Furniture Island!’ and throwing Mitchell a smirk over his shoulder. 

“Oh yeah, I might buy some for the flat actually.” He replied sarcastically. “Now hurry up!” Mitchell walked behind him like a man being lead to the gallows.   
__________________________________________________________________________________ 

“Day 21, we have yet to leave the promised paradise of Furniture Island and I am beginning to question my sanity. The sound of it’s a small world and Justin Bieber play constantly through my mind and I am even beginning to learn the words…” Mitchell’s actually quite spectacular post apocalypse survivor voice was interrupted by Anders gasping so loudly, Mitchell thought he must be in pain. “What? What is it?” 

“This is perfect!” Mitchell looked at the sofa in question. It was large and black and made of leather and Mitchell conceded that he actually quite liked it. 

“It’s alright I suppose.” He said with a shrug. Anders rose an eyebrow at him and sat down, bouncing slightly as he did so. The grin widened and Mitchell thought that if he were so inclined he would comment that Anders looked adorable bouncing up and down on a sofa in the middle of IKEA. But Mitchell valued his balls so he stayed quiet and sat down beside him. Anders reached over and ran a hand through his hair and Mitchell raised an eyebrow. 

“I am over a hundred years old Anders, there is no way I am jumping up and down on a sofa in the middle of ‘Furniture Island’.” He said the name disdainfully. I mean who in the fuck names an aisle in a store ‘furniture island’? Anders continued bouncing and Mitchell’s mouth quirked upwards and he joined in. 

“So we’re getting this one then?” Mitchell asked five minutes later when people were beginning to give them strange looks. If they bought this one they could leave quicker. Anders nodded and Mitchell punched the air. 

“Alright! Two sofas and an armchair down!” Anders shakes his head with a soft smile and presses a kiss to Mitchell’s lips. 

“That’s the spirit Dracula.” 

 

One table, six dining chairs and a kitchen counter later and Mitchell was about ready to raid the canteen for gas and burn the whole place to the ground. Anders was still strutting around like IKEA was the best place on the goddamned planet, carrying armfuls of cushions and curtains like the world would suddenly run out in the next five minutes.   
As he slid in behind the wheel he couldn’t help but lift his finger to swear into the review mirror as they drove off. 

When they’d reached the apartment once more. Anders had kissed him sweetly on the cheek and left him surrounded by the carnage of flat pack furniture to go and buy food for his fish, leaving Mitchell to start constructing the furniture or, as he thought of it, to start the long and perilous trek into a world of anger and self-loathing. 

Mitchell tried, he really had. He’d tried so hard but, just like he’s guessed he was still sitting on the floor three hours later when Anders eventually returned. Anders paused in the doorway, confronted with the sight of Mitchell, hair dishevelled, clasping a hammer and making wild gestures, screaming at the top of his lungs at the only partially put together cabinet. 

“There is no screw 28 you complete asshole!” He yelled. The cabinet just sat there, almost mocking him with its on door hanging by its hinges in a ‘don’t look at me, you’re the idiot’ expression. “No. You’re the idiot!” he exclaimed. He threw the hammer down. A little too forcefully as the shock waves sent the door siding off the hinges and onto the carpet with a soft thwump. Mitchell felt like crying. “Oh god when will this day of hell end!” He didn’t notice Anders until the blond dropped to his knees beside him and slung an arm around his shoulder. 

“Do you even know how insane you sound right now?” He said, struggling to supress a laugh. Mitchell scowled at him. 

“I am contemplating staking myself Anders, this is what IKEA does to me I mean who wants to spend hour constructing flat pack furniture where the instructions of in bloody Swedish and the bloody screws never stay in and there’s no mother fucking screw 28!” Anders hand started rubbing his arm. 

“It must be hard for you.” He said solemnly. Mitchell was pouting now and he didn’t even care, he just wanted Anders to forgive him for wrecking the apartment and be done with this endless day of torture. Anders must have seen his face because he sat back and raised an eyebrow suggestively. 

“You know.” Anders wrapped his arms around Mitchell’s neck, drawing his attention away from the cabinet. “We don’t need the cabinet right now.” He said lowly, leaning closer, practically propping himself up in Mitchell’s lap. “And,” he continued, whispering into his ear. “Leather doesn’t stain.” Mitchell could feel Anders teeth grazing his earlobe and a shiver went through him. Mitchell stood up so fast that Anders almost fell over and they were both laughing as Mitchell pulled them over to the couch.


	17. Problematic Fave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this one took a while and I'm going to be honest about it. I am not a super fan of Harry Potter. Like Lord Of The Rings? I can spout a fair bit of random information about Lord Of The Rings but Harry Potter didn't have the same inpact on me so this was a bit of a challenge... 
> 
> BUT OH MY GOD WAS IT WORTH IT?! I had SOO much fun writing this so thank you to Lindir-official for an amazing prompt and the patience of a saint for not harasing me about it... <3
> 
> Beta'd by the amazing FoxFinding, without whom, the emotional ending would have been just plain boring :P 
> 
> (Thank you so much for everything. Specifically for reading it all and dealing with me on skype flailing a wee bit xD)
> 
> ENJOY!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a sort of side note: I did take some dialogue from year 5 from the original Harry Potter film (the part in Hogsmead AKA the only time the original HP characters are featured XD) because nothing I could have written would have been as amazing as what was there in the first place so just wanted to say that I have taken that and am not claiming to have come up with it x

“Now then,” Professor McGonagall said, stopping outside a huge set of double doors. There was a murmur of irritation as lines of children ground to a sudden halt. Anders got an elbow to the head and turned to glare at the boy standing behind him as he rubbed the spot with his hand. “In a moment we will go through these doors and you will be sorted into your houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.” There was a quiet knock on the door and McGonagall smiled at them and with a sweep of her hands the doors opened with a flourish. “Welcome to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” 

The grand hall was exactly as his brother had described it. One of the few straight answers Mike had given him when he’d asked. 

“It’s bigger than any room you’ve ever seen Anders, you could fit a whole quidditch pitch inside!” Anders had thought it was just another joke. Just another way for his brothers to make fun of him but the grand hall was so big that the chatter of the hundreds of students echoed off the walls as they followed McGonagall past rows upon rows of benches up the centre of the aisle. The whole thing was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in the air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Anders looked up at the velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. The night sky looked so vast and life-like It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all. 

Professor McGonagall stopped just before a pedestal adorned with a golden figurine of an owl in flight. Ander’s breath hitched as Albus Dumbledore himself stepped up behind it, his robes flowing out behind him. “Now, before we begin Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words.” The hall fell silent as Dumbledore began to speak in a low and warm voice that subdued the gaggling first years instantly. 

"The very best of evenings to you! To our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you. I have some small opening statements for you all. Now first years please note that the forbidden forest is off limits to all students. I would like to also introduce our new Defence against the dark arts teacher. I am sure many of you have read his esteemed novels so I would like to introduce Professor Gilderoy Lockhart.” A second man, younger, with blonde hair in a tweed suit stood up and waved charismatically at the room. Anders recognized him from the books his mother kept on the shelves back home. He looked shorter in person. “And now,” Dumbledore continued, “for the sorting ceremony.” He indicated to Professor McGonagall who turned back to the first years in front of her, brandishing a slightly worn leather hat similar to her own. Anders really had no idea which house he was going to be placed in. Usually you could tell based on your family but out of his two brothers already attending the school only one had followed in their parents footsteps. Ty had escaped the tradition of an all Slytherin Johnson clan. His being in Hufflepuff had done nothing to alter the way Anders saw his brother but their parents had been furious that the ‘pureblood’ family had been tainted. McGonagall placed that hat down on a stool at the front of the hall and music started drifting from it. 

A thousand years or more ago   
When I was newly sewn,   
There lived four wizards of renown,   
Whose names are still well known: 

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,   
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,   
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,   
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen. 

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,   
They hatched a daring plan   
To educate young sorcerers   
Thus Hogwarts School began. 

Now each of these four founders   
Formed their own house, for each   
Did value different virtues   
In the ones they had to teach. 

By Gryffindor, the bravest were   
Prized far beyond the rest;   
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest   
Would always be the best; 

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were   
Most worthy of admission;   
And power-hungry Slytherin   
Loved those of great ambition. 

While still alive they did divide   
Their favourites from the throng,   
Yet how to pick the worthy ones   
When they were dead and gone? 

Twas Gryffindor who found the way,   
He whipped me off his head   
The founders put some brains in me   
So I could choose instead! 

Now slip me snug about your ears,   
I've never yet been wrong,   
I'll have a look inside your mind   
And tell where you belong! 

The voice was low and gruff, quite at odds with the playful tone of the song. When it drew to a close, Professor McGonagall took a scroll from the linings of her robe and started to read off names in alphabetical order. The list of names got shorter and shorter as the first years were accepted into their houses one by one.   
“Anders Johnson.” Anders swallowed noisily and walked slowly to the front of the room. The second the hat touched his head the same low voice started speaking inside his head, so rapidly Anders struggled to keep up with it. 

Oh! A family history of Slytherin how wonderful… hmm… a brother already following in the footsteps and another shaming the family name in Hufflepuff… what a diverse family you have here Anders Johnson. 

Anders had heard rumours that the hat had to take into account what each person wanted. Whilst Anders admired Slytherin traits he wanted desperately to escape his family and the path that they had picked out for him. 

“Please don’t put me in Slytherin.” He muttered. He wasn’t cut out for it. He saw what his brother did day to day to the other kids and Anders was weak. Smart mouthed but an easy target. All Anders wanted was a place where he could feel accepted and Slytherin would not be the place. 

Why not Slytherin? You are naturally ambitious and it would make your family so proud! No… hmm in that case… 

“RAVENCLAW!” Anders felt himself physically slump with relief. The Ravenclaw students all cheered as he got up and started walking towards them, an overwhelming sense of happiness sweeping over him. This was the first time he could ever remember someone being happy that he was on their team. 

The feeling lasted for near enough five seconds. Just long enough for Anders to walk past the Slytherin tables. “Oh great another know it all swot to make everyone feel inferior fantastic.” A tall boy with white blond hair sneered to the short fat guy sat next to him. Anders mood evaporated and he looked down at the floor just as another voice drifted from the Hufflepuff tables on the other side of Ravenclaw. 

“Shut your mouth snake.” He didn’t sound anything other than bored and Anders could only catch a flash of dark curly hair and a wide grin before a hand reached out and tugged him down into a seat. A girl with short blonde hair and a nervous smile. 

“I’m Dawn.” She says. “Don’t worry about Malfoy, he’s like that with everyone, even his own house.” Anders looked back towards the Slytherin tables where Malfoy was now having a go at a dark haired girl sat across from him, and then over to Hufflepuff second years where the boy who’d stood up for him was once again looking at the front of the room.   
McGonagall continued to list off names of nervous first years and everyone clapped politely as they joined their houses. No one had noticed Malfoy’s outburst, that or no one had cared. Anders smiled back at Dawn and then glowered at the table top in front of him. Nothing changes after all. 

Second Year. 

Anders loved Herbology. Parts of each plant can be used to make any number of amazing potions and charms and medicines but if you prepared them wrong they could make the most toxic of poisons. Herbology was not the problem. What Anders didn’t like was Herbology lessons. Professor Sprout’s lessons in the large greenhouse at the back of the school in second period the sun was already high in the sky and the greenhouse was transformed into an oven, slowly backing the students as teachers as they attempted to measure the height of a leaping toad stool jump. Anders watched Dawn as she tried to restrain their toad stool so she could set up the measuring device and laughed as it jumped over her head and hopped off into one of the fluxweed patches on the other side of the greenhouse. 

“That was not funny Anders.” Dawn said, resting both her hands on her hips and attempting to glare at him. It was unsuccessful since she was also grinning. Anders liked Dawn a lot. Unlike his family Dawn knew when he was joking and when he was serious, she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind whilst always making sure to let Anders have his say and, mercifully unlike his brothers, she seemed to actually like him and enjoyed his company. It was a strange concept that Anders didn’t encounter very often and he found that he really appreciated it. 

“Hang on I’ve got this.” He said, starting off after the toad stall and managing to catch it as it tried in vain to get away. 

“Professor Sprout likes to talk about your brother a lot have you noticed?” Anders looked up from his notebook. He looked towards Sprout who was busy humming as she watered the plants around the edges of the room. He looked back at Dawn with a shrug. 

“Yeah I guess so. Ty is an amazing student.” Ty Johnson, along with Neville Longbottom from the year above, was one of the most gifted herbology students in the whole of Hogwarts School. Anders would never admit this to anyone, least of all the man himself, but he was proud of Ty. He had been able to get away from their mother and father and had managed to excel. To find something he was good at and have the confidence to be good at it.   
Anders had no such luck. He struggled through all of his studies, unable to concentrate long enough to actually participate. He knew all of the answers but it was like they got lost on the way to his mouth, like his brain was far busier contemplating other things that were nothing to do with the task at hand. As Professor McGonagall liked to say, Anders was a wonderer. Lacking the attention span to accompany his intelligence. She said he just needed to find something that interested him so completely that he felt he could put all of his brain power into. 

When they finally managed to track down their toad stall and finish their measurements the class was just about over. Professor Sprout congratulated them all on a job well done and excused herself early to go on an expedition into the forbidden forest with Hagrid to find some sort of rare herb that Anders had never heard the name of. 

As they made their way to the door Dawn almost collided with Luna as she came in to greet them. Luna smiled at them lazily whilst Dawn stumbled sideways to avoid crashing into her. 

“Hello Anders, Dawn. Isn’t it a lovely day today?” Anders loved Luna. Luna was always calm and collected. She made the best midnight snacks and knew all of the best places to watch the wildlife undetected around campus. 

“Hey Luna. We were just on our way to get some food if you want to come with us?” Dawn greeted her with a small wave. Luna nodded eagerly and the three of them walked towards the door just as it slammed shut in front of them. 

“What in the?” Anders reached for the door handle and gave an experimental tug. It didn’t budge. He frowned and pulled harder. 

“It’s not opening.” He said turning. Dawn frowned too and took out her wand. She approached the door and flicked the wand at the door. 

“Alohamora!” The door stayed stubbornly locked. “Nothing.” She said, sliding her wand back into her robe and crossing her arms. “What is going on here?” 

 

“Let’s ask him.” Luna said happily from behind them. Anders turned just as the giant shrub beside Sprout’s desk reared up and looked at them with pulsing golden eyes. 

It looked like a swamp monster from a cartoon Anders had watched as a child, with hulking arms constructed of long dark branches and a giant leafy torso that twitched and convulsed. It didn’t seem to have feet, just roots leading back to a previously unseen red clay pot. It tilted what Anders guessed to be its head, he really couldn’t tell, and looked at them for a moment before drawing back one massive fist and bringing it down towards them with alarming speed. Anders dived one way and Luna and Dawn dove the other. Anders ended up crouched beneath a bed of mandrake bulbs. 

“Is that an infant whomping willow?” Dawn shouted disbelieving. Anders had only ever seen the fully grown plant in the Hogwarts grounds, this one looked severely more irritated. 

“I think so.” He replied. “But why is there one in Professor Sprout’s greenhouse?” 

“And why.” Dawn asked, yelping as a branch smashed the desk to the side of her and she rolled out of the way. “Is it so angry at us?” Luna was across the room from them. Calmly crouched beneath a desk and inspecting her fingernails. “Luna!” She looked up and Dawn gestured helplessly around them. “Any ideas? You’ve always been good at herbology.” Luna cocked her head to the side and chewed thoughtfully on the end of her wand. 

“Thank you Dawn, that’s very sweet of you but I’m afraid I haven’t dealt with whomping willows before. My father always said they were too much hassle so we never got one.” Anders closed his eyes and sighed. Perfect. He really wished he’d skipped ahead and started reading next year’s text books rather than going back for seconds at dinner. 

He was just about to start weighing the pros and cons of using himself as bait whilst the others threw whatever they had at the tree when he heard voices approaching the greenhouse. 

“It’s a bloody whomping willow. Mitchell what are you doing?” There was rustling and then a face appeared at one of the windows, dark eyes searching the ground. He reached up and smoothed dark curls away from his forehead. He looked familiar. 

“Hey! Anyone in there?” The voice was lilting, he was Irish. Dawn raised her hands. 

“Hey! Yes we’re in here hi!” Mitchell’s eyes widened and he disappeared from the window as the willow whipped round to the window. 

“Mitch, I just saw Malfoy bragging to his friends on the way down here. They locked the doors and provoked the willow. Should we get them?” Mitchell was back at the window and was shaking his head. 

“No. We can deal with the snakes later, we should help these guys first.” Anders eyes widened in recognition. It was the Hufflepuff from his first day. The one who’d stood up for him. 

He watched Mitchell climb in through the window followed closely by a nervous looking boy with glasses and a dark haired girl with green eyes and a wide grin. They crouched by the window silently and Anders held his breath as the willow passed by overhead. It caught sight of Anders and he rolled again, this time stopping behind a tall potted plant that smelled like cotton candy. Mitchell caught his eye and bit his lip. Anders couldn’t see very well but he trusted Mitchell knew what he was doing. 

A minute passed and then Mitchell himself appeared by Anders’ side. 

“Hey there.” He whispered. Anders looked at him and smiled awkwardly. 

“Hi. Anders.” Mitchell held out a hand and shook it, a crooked grin quirking at his lips. 

“Mitchell.” He replied. Anders rolled his eyes. 

“You look like you’re enjoying this.” He commented. Mitchell’s smile softened and Anders fancied he could see excitement in his eyes. 

“I am. They’re not intentionally bad Anders and every chance you get to practice right?” His smile was infectious and Anders felt a grin of his own forming. 

“So what’s the plan Mitch?” Mitchell put an arm around Anders shoulder and leant them both forward so they could see where the boy from earlier was creeping slowly towards the willow’s pot whilst the girl was hurling insults and light charms to distract it. He could see Luna and Dawn crawling towards the exit already. 

“The willow has a spot on their trunk that immobilizes them.” Mitchell explained. Anders watched as the boy reached for the trunk, pressed his hand in lightly and the tree immediately seized up, slowly shrinking until it became nothing more than the shrub in front of Sprout’s desk once more. 

Anders became aware that Mitchell’s arm was still around him and felt himself blush as he looked up at the older student who, now that he looked at him properly, also towered above him. 

“Thanks.” He said. Mitchell smiled down at him and helped him to his feet. 

“No problem.” He replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to report some snakes to professor McGonagall.” The other two were already waiting for them by the door and Anders could see Dawna and Luna just beyond them. They walked outside and Dawn gave Anders a one armed hug. 

“See you around Tiny.” Mitchell said over his shoulder and the three of them walked off towards the main hall. Anders stared after him for a moment and then started. 

“Was that an insult towards my height?” Dawn and Luna looked at him, both a full foot taller than him and they both grinned at him. Anders crossed his arms and glared after the older boy. 

“You’re blushing.” Luna observed. 

“No I’m not.” Anders replied curtly. Dawn leaned down and grinned at him. 

“Oh you so are.” Anders felt his cheeks flaming and chose to ignore it. He started walking off towards the dining hall. He could hear Dawn and Luna giggling as they hurried to catch up. 

Fourth Year 

“Stupid Boggart.” Anders heart was racing and he could feel the tears springing to his eyes. He refused to cry. He wouldn’t do it. The librarian shushed him and Anders walked faster, finding one of the darkest corners of the library before the tears started to fall. 

Professor Lupin’s defence against the dark arts lessons were amazing and Anders really did love them but today’s lesson had contained a boggart. Anders knew what Boggarts were and how to stop them, he’d read enough text books to understand the logistics of how they worked, what he hadn’t anticipated was how real they would be. When that cabinet had opened and none other than Johan Johnson had stepped out, holding out his belt and grinning manically Anders had ran. He’d Ignored Dawn and Professor Lupin when they’d tried to catch up to him and ran to the library where he felt the tiniest bit safer huddled in the corner away from everyone. 

“Anders?” Anders flinched and looked up to find Mitchell crouched above him, smiling sadly. He cleared his throat and spoke hoarsely. It wasn’t fair, no one was supposed to see him crying and it had to be Mitchell, this cool older student who had some sort of annual plan to save Anders life once a year. He wiped at his eyes and tried a smile. It was probably wobbly and entirely unconvincing. 

“Hey.” He said quietly. Mitchell gestured to the ground beside him and Anders scooted over. No use telling him to go now, he’d already seen what a cry-baby he was. 

“So what’s wrong?” Mitchell said, dropping down beside him and slinging an arm around his shoulder. Anders noticed from how he was sitting, with his arms wrapped around both of his knees and his back stooped over, that Mitchell really did tower over him. He smelt nice, like baking and old books. 

“Why do you smell like cookies?” Anders asked quietly. Mitchell looked puzzled for a moment and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. 

“Um well, I was baking with the house elves just now and I don’t have any classes this afternoon so I came down here.” Anders looked up at him as Mitchell leant his head back against the wall and rubbed soothing circles on Anders arms. “I like it in here. It makes me feel calm like nothing can get me in here.” Anders heart thumped. He got it. Mitchell looked at him and cleared his throat. “I think I still have one if you want it?” Anders looked puzzled and Mitchell produced a slightly crumbling cookie from his pocket. Anders took a small bite. It was delicious. “Now.” Mitchell continued. “What’s wrong?” 

Anders took a deep breath and licked the chocolate off his lips. 

“We had a boggart in defence against the dark arts today and I saw my fear and… I couldn’t handle it.” Mitchell’s arm tightened around his shoulders. 

“That bad huh?” He said quietly. Anders nodded mutely and took another bite of cookie. “Was it like, dying? Or a monster or something? Or maybe a-“ 

“It was my dad.” Anders said quietly and rubbed angrily at his face. He was tearing up again. Mitchell stilled above him and Anders started to apologise before Mitchell’s other arm went around his waist and Anders was brought into an awkward cramped hug. 

“I’m so sorry.” Mitchell whispered. “It must suck if he is what you fear most in the world.” Anders reached up a hand and clasped Mitchell’s in his. 

“My brothers used to take most of the brunt.” He said quietly. “But um... when Mike came here he was suddenly the golden child and then Ty and I got all the attention. Now that we’re all here on and off its better but….” He trailed off. “I feel sick when I think about what he used to do.” There they were, treacherous tears trickling down his cheeks. Mitchell didn’t say anything and Anders was grateful. “There’s not a whole lot to say to that is there?” He joked through the tears. Mitchell chuckled weakly. 

“No, not a lot.” He pulled Anders in close and Anders let himself cry against the other boys shoulder. 

 

“I’m going to be a vampire someday.” Anders was startled out of their comfortable silence by Mitchell muttering against his hair. 

“What do you mean?” He asked, sitting up slightly. Mitchell looked at him with what could only be described as a pout and he reluctantly relaxed again. 

“You’ve learnt about vampire’s right Anders?” Anders knew Mitchell could feel the nod of his head. “Well. My family comes from a long line of vampires and when I hit a certain age, they’ll decide whether I should become one or not. That’s what my boggart would be.” Anders frowned. 

“A vampire?” Mitchell shook his head, mussing up Anders hair. 

“Not just a vampire. Myself. If that ever happens I’ll be a monster Anders and I am so terrified that I’ll hurt someone one day. That I’ll lose control and I’ll hurt someone and I won’t even care.” Anders stayed quiet. “Not much you can say to that either is there?” Mitchell asked. Anders shook his head and gripped Mitchell’s hand in his own. 

“Do you want to go see if there’ any ice cream left from lunch?” 

 

Year 5 

“Come on already or we’ll be late!” Lauren laughed as Dawn raced past her. Anders and Mitchell stood at the back of the group and watched their friends get ready for the trip to Hogsmead. Lauren, Anders had learnt, was a lot less threatening than she first appeared. Sure she was the equivalent of a tiny ball of fury, even smaller than Anders himself but her green eyes were full of humour not malice and she was easily one of the easiest going people Anders had ever met. 

Anders looked down at his permission slip. Which Ty had graciously forged for him seeming as his father wasn’t speaking to him right now… or ever again if he had his way.   
“Are you sure this is going to work?” He asked. Mitchell laughed and clapped him on the back. 

“Course it will!” He said with a grin. “I used to forge my letters all the time and no one ever caught on you will not be caught out on your first go.” Anders smiled softly at him and tried his best to ignore Dawn’s not altogether subtle kissy faces. 

Hogsmead was amazing. In the first year of his time here, Anders hadn’t been able to go on too many of the school’s trips to the market place. Hogsmead was a little picturesque village of cottages and shops, with enchanted candles hanging in the trees during the holidays. It is also near the location of the train station so any chance the students got, they would visit the amazing shops tucked away down wandering alleys. 

“We have to go to Dominic Maestros!” Dawn was saying. “I hear they have the best radio parts!” Lauren and George had to go to ‘J. Pippin’s Potions’ 

“Hey,” Mitchell asked, nudging Anders “you want to go to Honeydukes?” Anders eyes widened and he nodded vigorously. 

“Yes! I have always wanted to try some Bertie every flavour beans!” Mitchell grinned. 

“You will most probably regret that, there are some pretty hideous flavours.”   
___________________________________________________________________________ 

“There’s a marshmallow fondue?!” Mitchell nodded and gestured to the large bubbling caldron in the middle of the shop. 

“It’s also called ‘Bat’s Blood’ I once saw a third year fall straight into it. He was stained bright red for a whole week!” Anders laughed and dipped his finger into the vat. It tasted vividly of red berries but there was a metallic sort of tang that Ander realised with no small amount of nausea, was probably blood. Mitchell looked up at him and Anders laughed at the trail of sticky redness that that escaped both sides of his mouth. 

 

“So, see if you can guess the flavour ok? Close your eyes.” Anders obeyed and felt Mitchell’s finger tips graze his lips as he gave him a bean. Anders supressed a shiver. Then his eyes bulged open and Anders jumped to his feet, spitting violently onto the ground. A mass of green sludge landing on the concrete. Mitchell was holding both his sides and doubled over with laughter. 

“What the hell was that?” Anders asked incredulously. Mitchell wiped tears from his eyes and raised the opened box of beans for him to see. 

“Earwax.” He said between wheezes of laughter. Anders’ eyes narrowed and he tackled Mitchell onto the ground, trying to reach his waist to tickle him. 

“I demand a nice one!” he said once he was triumphantly sat atop Mitchell’s hips. Mitchell’s eyes were a little wide and he bit his lip. Anders suddenly realised how he was positioned and felt a blush rise on his cheeks. He raised an eyebrow and Mitchell coughed and presented the bag. He reached in and held a chocolate bean to Anders lips. The sweet taste washed over his tongue and he smiled. 

“Much better.” He said. Mitchell’s hand didn’t move and Anders licked his lips, grazing Mitchell’s fingers with his tongue. He ducked back embarrassed and Mitchell was looking at him with wide eyes that made his insides to somersaults. 

“Anders? Can I…” Anders’ breath hitched and he nodded minutely. Mitchell’s mouth quirked up and he leant up to kiss him. 

It was the first kiss Anders had ever had. Mitchell’s lips were soft and they tasted like the butterscotch bean he’d eaten a few minutes ago. Anders smiled against him and Mitchell’s hands slid around his waist, encircling him so completely it made Anders feel dizzy, like his brain was getting all confused just by the sensation of Micthell’s mouth on his. He bit down on Mitchell’s lower lip and Mitchell returned the gesture and then oh, there was the tongue weeping across his bottom teeth and Anders loved it. He groaned quietly and Mitchell drew him closer. 

“Hey guys?” They drew apart startled and Anders quickly slid sideways onto the floor. Dawn was standing with her hands on her hips and a wry smile on her face. “Sorry to interrupt you two finally getting together.” Anders saw Mitchell’s face go a delightful shade of red at that comment. “But there’s something going down in The Hog’s Head. Harry Potter is saying he who must not be named is back and that we need to do something about it. George and Lauren are already there.” Anders felt Mitchell stiffen and he carefully took his hand, pulling him to his feet. 

They hurried after Dawn back towards the Hog’s Head and ducked inside out of the cold. 

“Why? Because You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot.” They heard Ron Weasley say as they approached. Several students were crowded around a trio at the front of the room. Harry Potter sat quietly, nervously twisting the hem of his jumper in his fingers. Hermione Granger stood anxious but determined on one side and Ron was angrily talking to Zacharias Smith who was looking at all three of them with an unimpressed frown. Lauren saw them and waved them over. She looked down at Anders and Mitchell’s joined hands and smiled but didn’t say anything. 

Zacharias nodded towards Harry who looked like he was ready to just run away. 

“So he says.” Hermione glared. “So Dumbledore says.” Zacharias leant back in his chair exasperated. 

“So Dumbledore says because he says! The point is, where's the proof?” A lanky third year chimed in. 

“If Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed...” Anders had liked Cedrick. Or at least what he had heard of him. He knew that George had been very close friends with him before he had died. Cedrick had once let Anders ask him a billion questions on port keys Cedrick hadn’t sighed in irritation or given him some basic answer like others had done. When he’d left he’d ruffled Anders’ hair and waved as he walked off. He saw Harry make eye contact with George who smiled weakly and then looked away. 

“I'm not going to talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here you might as well clear out now.” A few people actually left, muttering as they went and Zacharias continued mouthing off and Anders was about ready to slap him in the goddamn mouth when, mercifully, Luna stepped forward and, as she usually did, said exactly the right thing.   
“Is it true you can produce a patronus charm?” Everyone immediately stopped talking and Hermione looked to Harry before nodding. 

“Yes. I've seen it.” Excited muttering started amongst the group. Anders looked at Mitchell who was staring straight ahead, a permanently worried look on his face. He must have been caught staring as Mitchell’s hand squeezed his once, signalling that he was fine. 

“Blimey, Harry! I didn't know you could do that!” 

“And he killed a basilisk, with the sword in Dumbledore's office.” Neville Longbottom said nervously from the back of the room. Luna linked her hand through hers and his face went bright red. 

“It’s true.” Ginny Weasley, Ron’s sister was sitting as close to Harry as she could and was grinning broadly at the room as she spoke. 

“Third year he fought off about a hundred dementors at once.” Ron said, sounding a little boastful now. 

“And last year he really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh.” Hermione finished. Harry looked pale. 

“Wait... look, it all sounds great when you say it like that. But the truth is most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time, I nearly always had help...” 

“He's just being modest.” Hermione said weakly but harry interrupted her. 

“No, Hermione, I'm not. Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake you can just try again tomorrow, but out there, when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes... you don't know what that's like.” Anders was inclined to agree with him. It all sounded very heroic and it more than credited Harry as a worthy teacher against the dark arts but it also showed that he was a very lucky student. Hermione looked slightly defeated by her friend’s lack of enthusiasm. 

“You're right, Harry, we don't. That's why we need your help. Because if we're having any chance against beating... Voldemort…” 

“He’s really back.” Anders muttered. A first year voiced his thoughts to the group. 

“Yes he is.” Silence and then Mitchell turned and bolted from the pub. Anders watched in shock and then started after him, pausing to look back at Dawn. 

“Go. We’ll write your names down.” Anders smiled and kept running. 

He caught up to Mitchell back where they’d kissed, knees bent and breathing hard. 

“Mitchell. What-“ 

“He’s back Anders.” Came the whispered reply. “If he’s back then I’ll, my parents they’ll. I’ll have to transition.” Anders felt his stomach seize up. He sank to the ground beside him and Mitchell immediately attached himself to his shoulder. “I can’t do that Anders. I can’t become one of them and serve him.” Anders carded his hands through Micthell’s dark hair and shushed him. 

“You won’t have to ok? If they ever approach you with it then you come to my house and I will protect you, you will not become one of them ok?” Mitchell was sobbing into his shirt and Anders held him. 

Less than a month later there was a knock on his dorm room door. Anders stumbled out of bed, almost falling over Dawn who had drifted off at one of the common rooms tables. When he pulled open the door an exhausted looking Mitchell bit his lip and smiled weakly at him before falling into his arms. 

“I’ve got you baby.” Anders said softly. “I’ve always got you.” 

Year 7 

 

The sky was on fire and smoke clouded all their vision. Anders stood on the outcrop of Hogwarts castle along with a small group of nervous fifth years. Mitchell stood somewhere below him, surveying the left flank and checking the walls for signs of weakness with some other seventh years as the death eaters drew ever closer to the castle walls. Anders could make out Professor McGonagall as she stood, directing the statutes every which way to try and cover for the lost arms. 

Suddenly Anders could hear screaming in the distance, drifting over the castle walls like a scene from a nightmare. His guts twisted violently in his belly as he realized that the castle was under attack and that the screams were from those in the first line of defence. He hurled a disarming spell in the vague direction of the ground, successfully hitting a death eater about to strike down a terrified looking second year who really should’ve been inside. There’s more screams to his right and he whipped round to see Lauren and George struggling over the battlements towards them, a death eater right behind them. Anders gut instinct was to run towards them but the fifth years were screaming too, screaming as more death eaters clambered up the walls of the tower towards them. 

He watched, every muscle in his body tense as Lauren and George tried to outrun the hulking figure pursuing them. He threw a desperate Expelliarmus to no avail, the death eater simply ducked the spell and sent one hurling back at him. Anders threw himself to the ground to avoid it and climbed back to his feet hurriedly, almost tripping over himself, just in time to see Mitchell stop dead at the sight before them both. Anders watched his face go pale with fear and then cloud over. 

“Mitchell!” he yelled just as the death eater’s hands closed around Lauren’s arm. Mitchell snarled and attempted to reach them when suddenly the ground shook and a flash of smoke saw the battlement start to slide from the castle. The death eater grasped Lauren tightly and, eyes wide with horror, they both disappeared over the edge. Anders cried out and Mitchell reached out his hand but it was too late and Lauren fell into the darkness of the night. 

Anders was stuck to the spot, unable to take his eyes away from where she last stood. George continued hobbling towards him, tears now streaming down his face. Anders reached for him and was surprised when they actually connected. 

“George.” He choked out. George was sobbing into his shoulder and Anders clutched the Hufflepuff to him, never wanting to let go because, if he did, George might be taken from him too. 

George’s arm was bent hideously out of shape and Anders quickly surveyed his injuries and passed George carefully to the least shell shocked looking fifth year. “Listen to me. You have to set the bone.” The girl nodded slightly, looking dazed. “You know the spell right?” Her eyes seemed to focus on him for the first time and she nodded again, firmer than before. 

“Yes.” She said hoarsely, trying to be brave and Anders loved her for it. He gave her what he hoped was a comforting smile and turned to go when George’s good arm snagged his wrist. 

“Mitchell.” He said hoarsely. “Where’s Mitchell?” Anders breathing came short and he ran frantically to the edge of the battlements, straining his eyes over the sea of people for signs of his boyfriend. 

He spotted him somewhere in the middle of the courtyard, hurling charms and hexes in all directions, his eyes dark and predatory. Anders insides twisted and he was running, sprinting headlong above the courtyard, tracking Mitchell on his rampage. As he ran, Anders could feel his heart rate increasing, swelling until he was sure his chest couldn’t contain it. He was scared. Scared for his friends and the fact that they could all be taken away from him in the blink of an indifferent eye. Somewhere in the deeper inside Hogwarts, Dawn was working to heal people that were fortunate enough to make it there, if Anders and the others didn’t succeed out here they could get in and she could be wiped from the planet and he wouldn’t even get to say goodbye. George could die from his injuries, Mitchell could be mowed down by death eaters. His parents probably wouldn’t even care but what about Ty? He hadn’t even seen his middle brother since the battle began, what if Ty was already gone? 

Anders had never felt smaller in his entire life. He felt so damn helpless that he couldn't do anything to help and frustrated because he knew there was nothing he could do. When Lauren had needed him he was too slow and too clumsy and she was too far away. He felt such an ache within him at her loss because, yeah, maybe they weren't the best of friends but Lauren was funny and sweet and Anders had never seen Dawn happier than when they were together and now she was gone. And she did not deserve to die. 

He forced himself to ignore the ache he felt and focused on what was in front of him. Mitchell was somewhere below him, out of control with grief and anger and he needed Anders to be there for him. Anders squared his shoulders and wiped tears from his eyes. He would have plenty of time to mourn and get angry and wreck things but now was not the time. 

He kept eyes on Mitchell as he ran, sending down hexes and charms at those who dared try and sneak up behind the other boy. Anders had a good aim, even if he was not an expert at any specific charms and his shots always hit. He didn’t know how long he ran for, didn’t care but he could hear a fifth year shrieking somewhere behind him and suddenly Anders’ path was blocked by death eaters and he growled as he ground to a halt, watching Mitchell disappear from view pursued by ten or so of Voldemort’s army. Panic rose within him and Anders turned to face the death eaters with a grim look of determination. He did not have time for this. He struck without warning. 

“Petrificus Totalus!" The nearest death eater instantly froze and the one behind him couldn’t stop his momentum and went stumbling over him. “Expelliarmus!” the next death eater’s wand went flying over the battlements. Anders whirled out of the way of a killing curse, sending it smashing into the wall behind him and continued fighting. He chanced a look and sent out a stunning charm. He threw up a protego and held it firm as the death eaters took turns hurling spells at him. Anders ignored them and scoured the courtyard below him to no avail. Mitchell was nowhere in sight. He could hear yells and screams from just outside of his line of vision and the unmistakable sound of Mitchell screaming. Anders stopped breathing. Everything slowed around him as he strained his ears for any other cries but the voices and gone silent. His mind was going too fast for him to keep up but he knew he needed to go. Right now. He lowered his shield numbly and tensed his arm. 

“Confringo.” It was almost a whisper but Anders could feel every ounce of anger and fear pouring from his mind down his arm and into the spell. The fire hit the first of the death eaters and sent a massive chain reaction firing across the castle walls. He could hear the screams as every raced to get away from the flames, some of them simply being thrown backwards. A small group of students took care of any of Voldemort’s army that escaped the blast and Anders could feel his vision going dark. Once he was sure every death eater in radius was either unconscious or sent running he collapsed, his muscles temporarily unable to hold him up. He shooed away the students who approached to help him and gripped the edge of the tower to keep himself upright. He scanned the now silent courtyard desperately. A temporary truce had been struck and Anders was dimly aware of the Dark Lord’s voice, demanding Harry Potter in exchange for the safety of the remaining students. Anders was thankful for the momentary rest. 

There’s no sign of Mitchell and Anders insides sank. He’s gone. He thought numbly. Mitchell is gone, I’ve failed him. He let himself collapse, all the strength sapped from his body and started to cry, ugly and desperate tears for the loss of his friends and his lover. 

 

“Anders!” Anders head whipped round. Ty was walking slowly up the staircase towards him, struggling slightly under the weight of Mitchell, who clung to his side. Both looked bloody and bruised but alive. Ty positioned Mitchell so that he was leaning against a wall just as Anders ran at them, launching himself into his brother’s arms. 

“You idiots!” He said, voice high with relief and hysteria. “I thought you were dead the both of you!” His brother grinned and hugged him close. 

“Nonsense, we Hufflepuffs have to stick together.” He said, clapping Mitchell on the back. “And I would never leave my big brother at the hands of a bunch of snakes.” Anders laughed weakly and then turned to Mitchell. 

“You’re ok.” He whispered, reaching up and pressed their mouths together in a desperate flurry before reeling back and running his hands over his boyfriend’s face, checking for injury. He was dimly aware of Ty smiling softly before walking back towards the main hall and then Mitchell’s hand touched his face and he relaxed into the touch. “Thank god you’re ok!” he said eventually. Mitchell smoothed his hair away from his forehead and pressed a kiss to Anders’ temple. 

“Of course I am!” He said, crooked grin playing on his lips. “I couldn’t exactly leave you could I? Someone needs to look after you.” Anders laughed and reached up to kiss him again. 

 

The walls of Hogwarts lay in ruins, smoke rises of the scorched remains and stain the sky. Anders stood at the top of one of the towers, Mitchell by his side and as they watched the oncoming hordes of Voldemort’s armies. They readied their wands and took up stance, their hands intertwined as they prepared to fight for their school and their future. Anders was calm. He wasn’t afraid because he knew that he had Mitchell and Mitchell had him. And they would always save each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also! 
> 
> Anders and Dawn are a year below Mitchell, George, Lauren and the rest of the HP main cast x


End file.
